


Vis A Vis: Zulema/Zurena Prompt Collection

by shamandalie (meridalocksley)



Series: Vis A Vis & El Oasis [9]
Category: Vis a Vis | Locked In (Spain TV)
Genre: Accidental Bonding, Affection, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Apparently dominant Maca, Apparently submissive Zulema, Canon Divergence (Season 3), Christmas Fluff, Con Artists, Drunken Confessions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Family, Getting Back Together, Handcuffs, Heist, Human!Maca, Manipulative Relationship, Mind Games, Morning Cuddles, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Open Relationships, Partying, Prison, Public Display of Affection, Romantic Fluff, Sexual Tension, Slow Dancing, Smut, Some Humor, Toxic/Healthy Relationships, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Valentine's Day, Vampire!Zulema, more tags will be added along the way, prompt fics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:54:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 48,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26753896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridalocksley/pseuds/shamandalie
Summary: ♦️random standalone fics♦️Short stories written for YOU!•[Info] - Chapter 1《Prison Years》🔅"Why did you come?"[Season 3 (E)] - Chapters 2 & 3🔅"Why are you still here?"[Season 4 (M)] - Chapter 4《Caravan Years》🔅"You could be my escort"[Being a fake couple for a heist (M)] - Chapter 5🔅Somethin' Stupid[That Valentine's Day when they go clubbing together to meet guys (M)] - Chapter 6🔅A Christmas Carol[One year after Maca left, they meet in a crowded store (G/M)] - Chapter 7《Alternative Universes》🔅Scars of my broken kisses[Vampire AU (E)] - Chapter 8🔅The Thief and the Sorceress[Medieval AU (M)] - Chapters 9 & 10 & 11《Before Prison - Alternative Timeline》🔅Match Made In Hell[When they are con artists trying to con each other (E)] - Chapter 12
Relationships: Antoio Hierro/Zulema Zahir (briefly), Hanbal Hamadi/Zulema Zahir (briefly), Macarena Ferreiro/Zulema Zahir
Series: Vis A Vis & El Oasis [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747813
Comments: 340
Kudos: 225





	1. [Info]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I will most likely regret doing this. 🙈~~   
>  ~~But let's don't jump that much forward, before even starting it, haha!~~

I've been playing around with this idea for some time already, I thought I should give it a try, so:

Now I'll be writing what YOU want me to write about!

> **Rules** **:**
> 
> **1.** You can send prompts related to Zurena or anything else as long as it includes Zulema.
> 
> **2.** You can prompt me to write _anything you want,_ related to the above, and given that prompt I will write _anything I want_. 😋 (Meaning that if I am not comfortable with it, I will use the prompt, but I don't promise that it will end up being what you had on your mind.)
> 
> **3.** The length may differ depending on the theme. I might split some in more chapters if necessary, but I am not planning to make them longer than 3 chapters. I will post them as soon (or as late) as I finish them. It might take 2 days, it might take much longer. I'll choose the prompts randomly, depending on which I have more inspiration for. 
> 
> That's it, no more rules! 😊

I thought to set a limit of 10 for these fics. For now at least.

(I sort of prompted myself to write a fic already, haha. I decided to kickstart this prompt thingy with that. It's a random idea I've had on my mind for a long time, but it didn't fit the line of the fics I've been writing before. You can already read its first part!)

You can write your ideas as comments below.

Let's see how this will turn out! 😁

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, last month I posted my continuous El Oasis fic (OTRWYE/OTOS/OTBL) to Wattpad.  
> I feel totally lost on that site... But you can [find it](https://www.wattpad.com/story/239817724) there too now! 🙂


	2. "Why did you come?" [Season 3] (Part 1/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> • them showing affection already during their jail-time (@Mushroomslover)  
> • Saray catching them kissing (@Mushroomslover)  
> • Saray being jealous of their relationship (@msmiumiu)
> 
>  _Rating:_ Mature
> 
> I've just realized that this is my first time writing a canon friendly pre-El Oasis fic. This is based on probably my favourite scene with them from the earlier seasons. And I always had a feeling that it was intentionally written to feel... unfinished. 
> 
> I hope you'll like it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am posting this before the AU's last chapter because these days I was more in the mood to write this kind of fic. (But that chapter will be up too soon-ish, it's not like I got stuck with it, I am just lazy to write a plot, whoops.)
> 
> This being said...WOW, you guys have sent SO many awesome ideas that I don't even know where to start! (I am not commenting on them because I would end up ranting far too much, lol. But I might have started 3 fics already.) I can't promise that I will do all of them, it would be far too much, but I promise that I'll use as many as I can! I will often mix them up though, meaning that I will use more ideas in the same fic.
> 
> Thank you SO much for the prompts and for your interest! 💜  
> (This is a really pleasant way to escape reality in some stressful times. So yeah... thank you, really!)

_Darkness_

Maca was walking back towards her cell, lost in her thoughts, like a sleepwalker. There was an angry, loud storm raging outside, but her own words, echoing in her mind were louder than the threatening sound of the thunder.

_The old Macarena would have said yes to you... The old Macarena could have loved you... The old Macarena could have... The old Macarena..._

She kept ruminating above these thoughts as if she'd be willingly trying to fill her mind with them so that she doesn't have to face the other side of it. But regardless of her wanting or not to acknowledge its existence, that other side was there, more present than ever before.

_The new Macarena. The new Macarena doesn't want you, because... The new Macarena wants something else. The new Macarena would rather..._

Maca passed near Zulema's cell. She took a glimpse inside of it through the open door. Zulema was reading a book, her legs up on a desk. She must have noticed Maca, because she raised her glance on her questioningly. Maca swallowed, uncomfortably, she only then became aware of the fact that she has actually stopped. She slowly took a step inside, but she felt as if something other than her conscious will was moving her legs, the latter just caught up with it and realized that she'll have to say something.

Zulema followed her with her gaze. She was half calm, half ready to attack if necessary. The blonde was acting peculiarly. But their new unwanted partnership, made her more patient with her.

"What do you want?" Zulema put the book down and slowly stood up. They might have been a bit unnecessarily close, but neither of them moved. A sudden lightning lit up the cell for a brief moment, only to leave it dark again in the next one, and with the thunder which followed it after some long, silent moments, the dim light of the reading lamp started flickering too, giving the impression that something might soon either burn out or explode.

"Fabio asked me to marry him." Maca said quietly looking at a crack on the wall somewhere above Zulema's shoulder.

Zulema's lips curled into a grin. "Congratulations. You came here to tell that to me?" she asked indifferently.

"I said no." Maca moved her gaze at Zulema.

The brunette shrugged. "I can't blame you for that."

"I am tired of having people around me who want to protect me of everything. People who don't think I would be capable of standing up for myself."

"Blondie... I am not the one you should have come for a post-break-up heart to heart..." Zulema shook her head laughing bitterly, and reached towards her book, ignoring the blonde.

"I didn't come for that. You were the one who made me realize that I am capable of standing up for myself." Maca continued.

There was another lightning.

Zulema's hand stopped in the air. She raised an eyebrow, left the book where it was and turned back towards Maca.

"I am stronger because of you. And as fucked up as it sounds, I wanted to thank you for that." Maca was looking at Zulema with a searching gaze. "You were my mentor."

And another thunder.

Zulema couldn't help but smirk at the remark. "Why did you come, blondie?" she asked, her gaze still fixed on Maca.

Maca was puzzled for a moment. _Didn't I just tell you that?_

"Why did you think I needed to know that?" Zulema rephrased the question seeing the blonde's struggle.

Maca just stood there, feeling as if whatever solid ground she might have felt under her feet, was now slipping out from under her. _Why indeed?_

"You want to strengthen our very fragile partnership?" Zulema asked, her face barely telling any emotion, only that self-sufficient smirk was still lingering in the corner of her lips.

Maca pulled herself together. She ignored the question. _What answer would have been appropriate anyway?_ "This stupid identical twin thing just made me realize something. While I used to fight you I always ended up hurting myself. As if I was trying to cut out a darker piece of me which I just couldn't accept. I don't want to hurt myself anymore."

Zulema gave her a malicius smile. "You gave in to the dark side, blondie?"

"No. I -"

Another lightning. And another thunder. The storm was close.

And in the next moment the lights went out and they were left in almost complete darkness, just a weak, cold moonbeam was sneaking into the cell. Maca noticed as Zulema's expression turned into an amused one. The brunette leaned closer to her.

"Well then... It looks like the dark side has chosen you." she whispered into her ear, then she took a step back and looked, still smiling, at the confused blonde.

Then Maca suddenly closed the distance between them, her hand on the brunette's shoulder, and her lips almost touched Zulema's when the brunette pulled away from her.

"What do you think you are doing?!" Zulema laughed. 

"I just... I think I got the wrong idea." Maca stuttered awkwardly. 

Zulema's eyes rounded, as if she just processed what happened, and she reached a conclusion. She looked at the blonde letting out an ironic laugh. "You thought I meant myself?"

Maca wanted to disappear, she wanted to evaporate, to turn back time, to make this unhappened, but she was forced to stop beating herself up, when she suddenly felt Zulema's fingers touching her face, slowly, softly, coming from Zulema this felt like a threat, but Maca couldn't help but feel it as... tender. She wanted to raise her glance, and look into the other's eyes, but before she could have done that she was suddenly pushed with her back against the little ladder of the bunk bed, Zulema's body pressed against hers, her lips almost touching her face.

"So that's why you are here. Now I get it." she said smiling, her breath warm against the blonde's skin.

"I thought you were not into women." Maca said trying to sound calm, although she was a lot of things, but not calm. 

"I wasn't. I thought you were not into me." Zulema grinned. "Do you get high on danger now?" she asked with a serious expression, her face so close to Maca's once again that she felt the warmth of her breath on her skin. "Does playing with it turn you on?" she asked running her lips along Maca's cheek.

Maca only then felt the reality of the situation. The previous proximity was not new, Zulema often invaded her personal space to intimidate her, she often whispered threats into her ear, but this was something else, and Maca knew that soon enough she won't have any control over it. 

"I wasn't into you." she said, feeling her heart beating a bit too fast. _Am I scared? Or is this something else too?_

"Then what the hell are you still doing here?" Zulema pulled a bit away from her and looked into her eyes. Maca had the feeling that the question almost sounded like a reproach. 

"Trying to leave the past behind." Maca whispered weakly. "I think trying that could help you too." Maca heard herself saying. On one hand she was completely aware of what she just said, on the other hand she was terrified that she did it.

"I mean... Never mind. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry. Let me go!" Maca shook her head and was about free herself from Zulema's grip, to get away from her, away from this cell, away from this corridor, only to probably find herself back in this situation again. Because the bars did not allow her to go far enough to escape this. Maybe the distance wouldn't help either. This was even more impossible to escape from than the jail itself. 

"Oh dear... don't apologize... it's pathetic." Zulema said mockingly as she let go of her, and her tone irked Maca to the point that she almost felt the urge to slap her, but in the same time she almost felt disappointment by feeling the distance grow between them, she didn't think Zulema would actually let her go this easily.

But she couldn't make a fool out of herself, she had to stick to her statement now. _This is a mistake, after all!_ Zulema let her step away but placed a hand on her arm, and her touch felt like being in full contrast with her words, they said something else, it was firm enough to make Maca stop, but not firm enough to hold ber back if she decides to leave. It was almost saying _It's ok. No need to run away._ But Maca pulled her arm out of her grasp, not making a step though. Zulema did not react in any way.

For a moment they just stared at each other, both of them completely aware what was going on in the other's mind.

Then Maca turned around and made a step towards the door, far too slowly. The storm was still raging outside, but her inner storm demanded all her attention, she didn't even hear it anymore. _Why does this feel like a mistake too?_ She heard Zulema's laugh behind her back. 

"What is it, are you afraid that it will be more difficult for you to forgive yourself for walking away than for... making other mistakes?" 

Maca felt the anger crawl up on her, why was Zulema seeing through her this much? She turned back and roughly grabbed the brunette's shirt. "Stop thinking that you can read me so well!" 

"I can't help it... You're so easy to read." Zulema smirked. 

"Yeah? Then tell me about my next move!" Maca said with a challenging spark in her eyes. 

Zulema laughed. "You're gonna kiss me to make me shut up." she said with a smug smile. Maca's grip on her shirt loosened. Then Zulema shrugged. "And now you're not gonna kiss me anymore because you don't want me to be right. And now you are confused." she continued smiling. Maca let go of her. "So confused that you don't actually know what to do next, because you feel like whatever you do, I'll be right anyway." she smirked victoriously tilting her head. 

"Take me!" Maca whispered. 

"What?" Zulema blinked at her. 

"You did not expect _that,_ did you?" Maca's lips curled into a smile. "You lost." she shrugged and was about to turn her back on Zulema, but she had to stop, because a strong grasp got hold of her ponytail, and she felt Zulema's breath on her neck once again. 

"You have to mean it, for it to count."

Maca felt a shiver run through her. 

"Did you mean it?" Zulema insisted.

Maca swallowed. Then she slowly turned around to face Zulema, who has meanwhile let go of her hair. "You lost." she repeated firmly, looking into the brunette's eyes, a nervous smile playing on her face. "You've fucking lost." she said it again. _And me too..._

Something changed in Zulema's eyes, but apparently she didn't want to let it show. She was not at all satisfied with the way Maca formulated her answer. She stepped back to the desk and sat up on it. "No." she raised her chin looking down at the blonde.

Maca was puzzled for a moment, but then it was her time to let out a laugh. _You can't control your need to be in the upper position, you have to compensate..._ She stepped into her space again, between Zulema's slightly spread legs, this time her being the one to run her fingers down the brunette's cheek. "Don't get so hung up on it, you can't always win." Maca smirked. She had no idea from where her self-confiddnce came from, but this was what Zulema was doing to her. Bringing the best, and the worst, out of her. 

"Except if I can win something even when I lose." Zulema smiled, and gently removed the hand from her face, looking at Maca with a piercing, and almost hungry gaze. It was both wild and tender, and Maca had no idea how Zulema was capable of being so many things at once. And more importantly, why was she acting like this? She was expecting her to throw herself on her, she was surprised she hasn't done it yet, because at this point Maca was convinced that Zulema wanted this too. Yet she was just sitting there. 

"You're surprised that I'm not acting like an animal?" she tilted her head. 

Maca opened her mouth, then she closed it again.

"Are you disappointed that I am not acting like one?" Zulema smirked. 

"I... No-" 

"Kiss me." Zulema said interrupting her, while looking down at her. 

Maca hesitated for a moment. Then she found no reason to not do what she asked, she wanted it to do it first, anyway. She leaned closer to her, raising a hand to touch her face, but she stopped midway. She felt a bit weird because Zulema wasn't touching her in any way, she just stood there, her hands grabbing the edge of the desk. Waiting. And then it hit her. 

She moved a bit back to look into her eyes. Zulema seemed a bit frustrated, although she was keeping a mostly unreadable-expression. 

"You're acting like this because you didn't think that there will still be someone who will want to get close to you." Maca smiled. "Seeing me wanting you reassures you somehow."

Zulema's lips seemed to tremble for a moment.

"Looks like I can read you too." Maca smirked.

Zulema shrugged. "You don't have to kiss me, if you don't want to. I am not the one who was desperate for it-" she was about to jump down from the desk, pushing Maca away.

"Oh shut up!" Maca stopped her placing a hand on her chest, then she leaned in and locked her lips with Zulema's. She never would have imagined kissing Zulema to be like this. Truth to be told, she was prepared for the animal. She was not disappointed by getting a softer side of hers, on the contrary getting a proof of its existence made something click in Maca. This could be more than unresolved sexual tension. And suddenly all she wanted was to make Zulema feel that she _was_ wanted. That she still can be... loved. _What am I doing?_

Then Zulema suddenly broke the kiss and started laughing. Not mockingly, not ironically, just simply laughing. Although this time it would have been appropriate.

"What?" Maca stared at her frowning, resting her hands on Zulema's thighs.

"I did win in the end too. You did kiss me to make me shut up." she looked at Maca smiling.

"Apparently its effect didn't last long enough." Maca said looking down at her hands. "What do I need to do to make you shut up for longer?" she asked stroking her thigh with her thumb and raised her resolute glance on Zulema.

And in that moment all the lights came back. It was steadily raining outside. 

"Sweet Lord, now that is a sight!" they heard a voice from the direction of the door. "Had I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it!" Saray was standing there, leaning with a shoulder against the frame of the door, arms crossed, and smirking.

Maca turned towards her being startled, Zulema slowly shook her head biting into her lip.

"Were you planning to keep standing there if the lights don't come back?" Zulema asked. "That's preatty sick, don't you think?" 

"Well, this is my cell too. Be grateful that I did not throw you both out because I wanted to sleep." she said sharply. "But wait, oh dear... were you planning to go all the way?" she asked chuckling moving her gaze between the two of them. "Damn it! And I thought it took them too long to fix the light! What a waste of a posibility!" she rolled her eyes. 

Maca couldn't tell whether she was just lightly making fun of them, or Saray was being ironic, jealous even. 

"I was just teasing her. The blonde seems to have the hots for me." Zulema said smiling at Maca. "I was curious how far she'd actually be willing to go." she shrugged. 

_What?!_ Maca looked back at her with an annoyed face then stepped away from her. 

"And if she'd have been willing to go too far, would you have left her hanging?" Saray raised her eyebrows. "Come on Zule, I know you, you're not the one to leave things unfinished." _And more importantly, you don't start into things you are not planning to finish. Unless you have some ulterior motives._ But she did not say this out loud. 

"I am still here!" Maca snapped angrily, then she gave Zulema another angry look and headed towards the door pushing Saray out of her way, then she disappeared. 

Zulema avoided Saray's gaze.

"What the hell?" Saray looked at Zulema questioningly. 

"What? You don't give your best-friend-approval?" Zulema spread her arms making a grimace, still sitting on the desk. 

"I don't think you would give a shit about my approval, but still... What the hell?!"

Zulema grabbed her book, jumped down from the desk and threw herself onto her bed. "We had no lights. I was bored." she said offhandedly as she opened the book hiding her face behind it. 

Saray took it out of her hand and sat down near her.

"Don't lie to me! Not to me, please. I don't care whether you give a fuck about my opinion or not, but you are my best friend. Don't lie to me! Are you into her now too? What is so special about her, damn it?!" 

"What? I'm not..." then Zulema realized what is hurting Saray.

"Relax..." she sighed. "She is not going to steal your best friend." she placed a hand reassuringly on Saray's arm. It didn't seem to make Saray feel better. "Oh come on..." Zulema rolled her eyes and wrapped her into a hug. 

"All right." Saray nodded after a while. "I believe that. But I always found your tendency to pick innocent looking, blonde, weak, young girls and keep them around yourself a bit peculiar." 

"Someone has to teach them to stand up for themselves." Zulema said with a witheld smirk. 

"Admit it that you are interested in her!" Saray insisted. 

"Oh, gitana... She was getting on my nerves and messing up my life from the moment she stepped into the prison. I had to keep an eye on her from day one! So tell me, when was I not interested in her?" Zulema sighed and picked up her book again.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This _might_ get a second chapter at one point. But I am leaving it as a one-shot for now. 🙃


	3. "Why did you come?" [Season 3] (Part 2/2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Additional prompts used:  
> • Zulema succeeding to wake Maca up after getting her out of the washing machine (@likemermaid & me 😋)  
> • sharing a bed in prison (@likemermaid, although it is not the chapter you asked for, but it's close enough, I think)  
> • more affection and cuddles (so many of you have asked for this in a way or another that I can't even name you guys here!)  
> And this one also has some smut, something no one specifically asked for, but... I guess no one minds it either. ☺
> 
>  _Rating:_ Explicit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I wrote this much sooner than I've planned to, thanks to having very similar ideas with some of you guys!
> 
> I never thought I'll ever write them being like this before them being looong into their caravan years, and especially before having slept together, but... another reason to never say never, I guess. It was a challenge to write Zulema being affectionate with Maca this early on, I was constantly afraid that I'll make her ooc, but I tried my best to keep her in character!

_Light_

_No!_

That was the only thought circling in Zulema's mind as she stared down at the unconscious Maca laying in front of her on the wet ground.

"No, no... No!" she kept saying as she desperately tried to resuscitate her.

_Thoracic compressions. Was this 30 of them?_

_Breath._

_Breath._

_Again._

She wanted Maca dead, not once. But not like this. _Who dies being washed out, for fuck's sake?!_ Nor killed by someone else. And most importantly...

"Not now!" she cried.

_Thoracic compressions._

_Breath._

_Breath._

_Again._

"Live you bitch, don't you dare dying on me now!"

Nothing.

"Wake up, damn it! I need you!" Zulema slapped her face. "You hear me? You've been getting on my nerves more often than not, but... I need you." she said looking at her motionless body, almost crying, and for some unknown reason for her, being terrified. _It must be the stupid twin thing._ But in that moment she knew that it was not just about that.

Maca's world was still turning around, occasionally she heard Zulema's worried voice. _Don't let me go!_ she wanted to say, but she couldn't speak, she couldn't even move.

"Come on!" Zulema panted.

_Thoracic compressions._

_Breath._

_Breath.  
_

And Maca sat up, spitting out a great amount of water. Zulema fell down on the floor near her, exhausted and... relieved.

Maca was coughing, still struggling to breath, she moved to her, hitting her back, and when Maca was breathing relatively normally, she squeezed her shoulder.

"I almost died..." she whispered.

"Yeah..." Zulema nodded. "Don't do that again." she shook her head and blinked at the blonde smiling.

"You saved me." Maca looked back at her.

The smile disappeared from Zulema's face. "Yeah." she shrugged. "I was not planning to die in a washing machine. What kind of death is that?" she laughed. "Besides, if someone kills you, it will be me!"

Maca didn't have the strength to laugh, but she was capable to smile. _You keep acting as if you don't care... But I heard you._

"Come, you're all wet, let's get you out of these clothes." Zulema tried to help her up.

In other circumstances Maca would have teased her about this sentence, but now she barely processed it, she just let Zulema help her up and accompany her to the showers.

Zulema waited there until she finished. Maca was well enough already to notice, that although it was not the first time that Zulema has seen her naked in the shower, she now avoided to look at her if it wasn't necessary. And it also occurred to her, that she has never seen Zulema naked. 

"I'm fine." Maca said seeing Zulema's worried expression, when she stepped to her, dressed in some dry clothes the brunette brought to her. "Don't worry about me so much!" she laughed.

"I'm not worried about you." Zulema laughed coldly. "It's the twin thing. As I said, I'd rather not die in a washing machine." she rolled her eyes and walked with the smiling Maca back towards the blonde's cell.

She repeated that so much to herself, that she almost believed it now.

.

"Now rest." Zulema said when Maca finally agreed to get into the bed, and was about to leave her cell. 

"You can stay. If you want to..." Maca raised her glance on her. She wasn't even sure why she wanted her to stay. On one hand, she didn't want to be alone, she was still a bit shocked after the incident, but on the other hand, she just simply wanted her to stay too.

Zulema nodded and stepped towards an empty bed. Maca sat up and grabbed her arm.

"I meant that you can stay _here_."

Zulema hesitated. 

"Come on, what did you want to do when you came here last night asking me to go smoking with you?" she said laying back down, a bit closer to the wall to leave room to Zulema.

The brunette looked at her spreading her arms. "Smoking? I guess."

Maca laughed. It was two days since that dark, stormy evening, they still haven't cleared things up but for some reason Maca felt like that's not even necessary anymore. But, ironically, for Zulema apparently it was.

"Why did you say no?" Zulema asked. 

"I didn't trust you." Maca looked up at her.

The brunette nodded, again. Then she sat back down on the bed, on the other end of it, facing Maca and pulled her legs up under herself. 

_You're unbelievable..._ Maca rolled her eyes.

"And now you trust me?" Zulema looked at her with a serious face. 

"Nah... not completely." Maca shook her head. She grabbed her pillow and moved to the other end of the bed, laying down near her. "But I might believe now that you were not asking me out to kill me in the washing room." she added.

Zulema's expression remained serious.

 _Fuck! You've actually killed someone like that..._ Maca moved a bit closer to her. "I wasn't intentionally bringing up your ghosts... But I won't apologize, you have-"

"Plenty of them." Zulema finished the sentence in her place. "And... I've inflicted them all upon myself with my own hands..." she rolled her eyes. "I'm aware."

Maca didn't want to ever excuse Zulema for the things she did, but she found herself capable, and willing, to see the woman behind those deeds. Who she was convinced that was not _all_ bad. "We're more than our ghosts." she reached out to hold her hand, but Zulema pulled it away.

"Why are you staying, if you're pulling away from me?" Maca frowned. 

Zulema leaned back against the wall and tilted her head to look at Maca. Her expression was softer than a moment before, but it was still closed-off. "Because you wanted me to stay." Then she shrugged. "Maybe I just don't want to leave someone who almost died on her own. Or maybe I'm just being... egoistical enough... to want to savour the rare occasions when I am... there for someone. And on top of that, I don't exactly like unnecessary affection." _Not anymore..._

Maca looked at her not knowing what to say. Then she nodded. She pulled up her blanket and threw a side of it over Zulema. "If you want a pillow, take the one from that empty bed. The one with the clothes on is Jenny's, she's in the hospital wing." she said and with that she laid down to sleep.

She couldn't fall asleep. She opened her eyes when Zulema got up. She thought that she was leaving, and she was reassured when she noticed that she just went to get the pillow. Maca closed her eyes agan when she came back and laid down near her. And for the first time, her presence calmed her. For the first time, she felt safe with her. 

She fell asleep at one point because she woke up to Zulema shaking her shoulder.

"Hey, wake up! It's just a dream. You're fine! That's over!" 

When Maca opened her eyes she realized that she was clinging into Zulema's arm, the brunette was half above her, both pushing her back down and almost hugging her at the same time. Her heart was beating fast and she was relieved when she realized that she can easily breath. She let go of Zulema's arm and laid back down on the pillow.

"Sorry... bad dream. I was drowning again." she panted. 

"These dreams will torture you for a couple of days, maybe weaks, it depends, then they'll cease." Zulema said calmly with her hand still on Maca's arm.

Maca blinked at her. 

"Yeah... I've had plenty of these, too." she said bitterly. _A couple of times because of you._ Her coma was still a recent memory. _But the truth is, I would have done the same in your place._

Zulema was almost sure that the blonde would not kill her out of the blue at this point. She didn't exactly trust her either, but neither did she feel threatened by her. And their forced reconcilation somehow made things change, in a more accelerated pace than either of them expected.

Maca was still breathing heavily. She closed her eyes. _I've almost died..._ "What if they'll go after you now?" 

"Then I'll deal with them. But don't think about that now. Try to sleep." she said. Then she hesitantly wrapped an arm around Maca, but what Maca noticed was just having been pulled closer to Zulema as she laid back down too.

Maca felt the warmth of her body behind herself, it was such an impossible scenario that she had to convince herself that it was actually happening. _The ice was broken._ she smiled to herself. She slowly calmed down, and tried to fall asleep again, but as the disturbing flashbacks and dream sequences faded, the weight of Zulema's hand on her side started to distract her. She wanted to hold it, but in the same time she didn't want to make her pull away again. And in the same time she also couldn't stop thinking about Zulema moving it, just a little bit, downwards. But she didn't. _Don't think about that now. Try to sleep._ she said to herself. 

"You're tense." Zulema breathed into her neck. And with that Maca's capacity of self-control was scratching its limit.

"Uhm... Yupp..." she said ironically, then she unwrapped herself from Zulema's embrace and sat up again. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep. Do you want to get out to smoke?" 

Zulema frowned. "You should rest... Are you sure you're well enough to-"

"Damn it Zulema, I'm fine!" Maca snapped. "You're the last person I expected to annoyingly worry about me, don't you dare starting that bullshit now as well! It seems that I do have some nightmares, but other than that I am totally fine! I only agreed to get into the bed because you were... literally pushing me into it, and I didn't mind, but apparently... Damn it, I am not going to spell it out to you _again_. Are you coming with me or not? 'Cause I'm going anyway." she said and got up from the bed. 

Zulema jumped up too, and blocked Maca's way, smirking at her. "You really want me, don't you?"

Maca took a deep breath, she wanted to say something, but she didn't get to. She found herself pushed back on the bed, this time truly in the literal sense of the word. This was not the Zulema with the affection-issues from a couple of hours ago. Neither the annoyingly concerned one from a couple of minutes ago. This was more like the Zulema Maca always knew. Determined, dangerous, and more than a little bit crazy.

She looked at her as Zulema crawled on top of her, taking off her yellow shirt in the process of it. For a brief moment she was a bit afraid, but it passed as soon as it came. _We're fine..._

"You too. Off with that." Zulema ordered pulling on Maca's shirt. "Pants too."

"Don't be suddenly so bossy!" Maca laughed. 

"You didn't want my softer side, so deal with it!" Zulema smirked.

Maca quickly got out of her shirt too, she then before Zulema could have done anything else she grabbed the side of her head and kissed her. It was brief and messy, with their lips parted, tongues tasting each other for the first time. 

"I knew that you were fine." Zulema said when they pulled away. "But this time I was really curious about how long I can go on like this without you losing your shit. It makes around... 2 hours and twenty minutes, with you sleeping for an hour and a half, roughly, so that leaves... around fifty minutes." Zulema grinned. "Not bad, but pretty... desperate I'd say." she added blinking down at Maca's bra. "I've told you to take off only your shirt." she added casually.

"I hate you." Maca shook her head with disbelief as she got out of the pants too.

"Good. That better doesn't change." Zulema followed her movements with her gaze, then she placed a hand on her knee. "Do you think you can handle my bossy side or you want the softer me?"

Maca couldn't believe that Zulema actually asked this. 

"Just be yourself..." she said looking at her with a searching gaze. "There is one condition, though." she added.

Zulema raised an eyebrow. 

"Don't kill me." Maca said smiling. 

Zulema pushed her back on the mattrsse again, this time more gently, and placed a wet kiss on her neck, moving her hands down on her breasts, her sides, and she was amused to see how Maca spread her legs further apart already when she reached her hips. She wasn't planning to drag out the foreplay, she made Maca suffer for long enough. She never did this with a woman so she was wondering whether knowing what she likes will be enough to deduce what Maca does. Then she almost laughed when she caught herself thinking about this. _Since when do I care this much? S_ _he is worked up well enough already without me even having had touched her, she'll probably come just from me touching her, anyway..._

So she barely touched her clit before she entered her with two fingers, slowly, but firmly, going deep enough from the start to make Maca let out a moan.

Zulema moved a bit up to face her, and placed her free hand on Maca's mouth. "Keep quiet, I am not the type who's known to disturb a good night sleep here. Not with stuff like this at least. Understood?" 

Maca nodded. Zulema removed her hand from her mouth and placed a fleeting kiss on her lips, before she moved hers down to her neck, her chest, she ran her tongue around her nipples while continuing to move her fingers inside her, picking up a steady pace which made Maca arch her back into her touch. Maca wasn't exactly quiet, so she moved her hand back to her mouth, and she felt her teeth digging into her fingers as she came, but Zulema didn't stop. _You wanted me. You'll get me._ She laid down on her elbow, and looked down at Maca as she gave her the that final push, again, and she watched as the blonde completely fell apart under her. She removed the hand from her mouth and moved it to her hair, gently stroking her cheek with her thumb. 

Maca opened her eyes, and she looked straight into Zulema's. And the satisfaction she read on her face made Maca realize that whatever battle they might have still been fighting underneath it all, she has lost it, once and for all. _Or did I win?_ her eyes opened wider and then closed again when Zulema started stroking her cheek, removing a sweaty lock from her face. 

"You ok?" she heard her voice. 

Maca wanted to tell her that she's absolutely fine and that she shouldn't start worrying about her again, but she didn't have enough willpower, she only reached up and wrapped her fingers around Zulema's, who let it, and a moment later Maca was glad that she didn't say anything. She didn't want to push this side of hers away.

So she pulled herself together and rolled them over, one of her thighs ending up between Zulema's legs. She placed a hand on Maca's chest, but Maca didn't get to find out whether it was just a gentle touch or Zulema wanted her to stop, because in the next moment the door of the cell opened. 

Maca instinctively rolled off Zulema, pulled the blanket over themselves and she pretended to sleep. 

"This will be your cell, Kristine. You have one cellmate at this point, Macarena, she's asleep now, but she's all right, you'll have no problems with her. Jennifer is in the hospital and she's going to stay there for a couple of days. Well... Good night!" 

With that the door closed, the guard walked away, and they heard as the newbie threw her stuff onto her bed.

"Well... I wouldn't mind a cigarette right now." Zulema whispered into Maca's shoulder under the blanket.

.

"There is a poor soul who saw us in the same bed on her first night." Zulema laughed as she lit a cigarette and stepped towards the small, barred window of the spacious bathroom.

 _Were you really planning to smoke?!_ Maca looked after her being annoyed.

"Does this make us a couple now?" she asked jokingly.

Zulema let out a bitter laugh. "Hell, no. I don't do that anymore." she said as she gazed through the window.

There was an empty hillside visible through the window, still wrapped in darkness, as the first rays of the sun added a bit of brightness to the colour of the black sky. Some time ago Zulema would have looked at those hills with yearning. She always felt like somewhere in the distance there was the life she always longed for waiting for her. But now, despite her unwavering determination to escape, she felt like there was nothing waiting for her out there. _And what good is in freedom if you don't have anyone to share it with?  
_

_Where would you go now, if you could escape?_ she wanted to ask from Maca, but she didn't feel it appropriate. After all, indirectly, but it was because of her why the blonde had almost no family to return to. Then again, indirectly, but it was because of the blonde why Zulema had no one out there waiting for her to return either. _Well, almost no one..._

She asked the question eventually, still looking through the window.

"To my brother, for a start at least..." Maca said as she stepped behind Zulema. "You?"

The brunette blew out the smoke. "I have no fucking idea. But I don't see myself staying in one place for long." 

"Well... you could buy a caravan then." Maca said offhandedly as she took the cigarette from Zulema, breathed in from it, then gave it back to her. "That's what I'd do at one point." Maca almost placed her chin on Zulema's shoulder, but she changed her mind.

"What counts as not unnecessary affection for you?" she asked instead.

Zulema lightly shrug her shoulders. "Sex. Hugs between friends... and dear family members maybe."

"Family?" Maca was surprised. "I thought you hated your family."

Zulema was staring at a fixed point on the dark horizon. "I was saying that generally speaking."

"Uhum..." Maca nodded. "And is this..." She slowly wrapped her arms around Zulema's waist from behind and placed her chin on her shoulder. "Is this ok now?"

Initially Zulema tensed, but then she relaxed under her touch. "It depends, if you're just being-"

Maca suddenly moved her hand down and it disappeared under the elastic band of Zulema's pants, making the brunette catch her breath and grab Maca's wrist, stopping her hand. Meanwhile Maca softly kissed her neck.

"You're cheating." Zulema said.

"And?" Maca laughed. "Since when do you like playing fair?" She wanted to withdraw her hand, but Zulema held it firmly, and eventually she let go of it, making it sink deeper into her pants in the process of it.

"Keep talking..." she breathed out and threw the cigarette away, then she turned her gaze back on the hillside. "About that caravan."

Maca raised her eyebrows, being surprised. _Does it turn you on if I am talking about freedom to you?_ She placed her chin on Zulema's shoulder again. This time Zulema didn't protest.

"You could buy one." Maca continued as she sneaked her other hand under Zulema's shirt, caressing her skin, while she firmly cupped her sex with the other one. "So that you can go wherever you want. Pop up and disappear whenever you want." Maca breathed into her neck, moving her hand up to her breasts. "You'd eventually find a crazy soul who'd want to team up with you and you'd start doing robberies to make a living. You could also give a sign to me at one point, I'd like to see what you're like outside of the bars."

Zulema laughed. "Do you think I'd be different? You'd see me in normal clothes, and I'd probably let my hair grow, I'm much more the long haired type in the right circumstances, but other than that..."

"I'm sure you'd be different." Maca interrupted her. "We'd all be. Anyway. _And then..._ you'd come up with the idea for us to do a heist together." she said as she slipped her fingers under her underwear and started moving them in slow, circular motions. "You'd have some trouble with convincing me, but eventually, I'd agree. We'd fight a lot though... because of the smallest things. You'd be angry at me for stupid stuff like putting a flamingo sticker on the door of your trailer. But we'd realize that in other aspects we're not a bad team, so we'd do another heist. And we'd realize that not that we're not bad, we're damn good at it!" she was still moving her fingers, slightly increasing the speed with every sentence. "We'd be filthy rich, and we'd never get caught, we'd be driving full speed, burning cars, and then we'd storm back into that trailer with backpacks of jewelry, laughing at how stupid the cops were, high on adrenaline..." she said and suddenly she stopped touching Zulema. She was amused as she felt her moving her hips, trying to regain the contact. She placed a kiss on Zulema's neck again, then she continued talking. "We'd drink to celebrate, and I'd end up tying you to the bed with some of the jewelries."

Zulema was struggling between panting and expressing her annoyance. "You'd never get to tie me up!" she shook her head laughing, blinking back at Maca then she looked out through the window again. The horizon seemed already a bit brighter than before.

"Shut up! You wanted me to talk." Maca said squeezing the breast under her palm, and pressing the fingers of her other hand against her, with more pressure this time, making Zulema let out a quiet moan, and then she stopped again. "You'd be angry at me, because even if you would be able to free yourself with one move, tearing off the jewelries from your wrists, you wouldn't be doing it. Because they are worth a lot of money. And it would be a pity to see the pieces of them scattered around on the floor. So you'd give in." Maca's fingers traveled further down, teasing her entrance. "You'd be repeating how I am going to have to pay for doing that, but you'd actually... enjoy it." Maca whispered into her ear as she easily slipped a finger into her, and then with the next move immediately added another one. She was amazed by the way Zulema started move her hips to meet her thrusts. She never would have thought that they'll end up here.

Zulema held into the bars of the small window with a hand, and reached back with the other, pulling Maca closer, her fingers disappearing in Maca's hair, pulling on it. "Talk!'

Maca slowly moved her lips to Zulema's cheek, while continuing to move her fingers. She knew that Zulema was close, and since she insisted for her to keep talking, Maca decided to give that last necessary stroking, for once, to her ego too. "You'd be both pissed off, and turned on by me manipulating you. And also flattered because you'd know..." she placed a wet kiss on Zulema's cheek and in the same time curved her fingers. "...that I've learned from the best." she whispered into her ear, and she felt as Zulema's orgasm was washing over her. She slowly withdrew her hand, holding Zulema tightly with the other one, and once again she was just hugging her from behind.

When she felt that Zulema was capable of standing on her own she let go of her. "Sorry... no unnecessary affection, I know." she said smirking.

"I hate you." Zulema grinned.

"We're not friends, nor family. And this just ended. We're all about fighting, sexual tension and money. No?" Maca shrugged with faked indifference.

"Promise me..." Zulema whispered as she turned around to face Maca, laying her back against the little, barred window, breathing out.

"What?" Maca chuckled, and she found herself picturing Zulema with longer hair and in a beach dress.

Zulema had to force her face muscles to deliver an annoyed expression. "That you'll never put a freaking flamingo sticker anywhere in my trailer." she said on a serious tone.

Maca looked at her being surprised to see Zulema playing along with her very unlikely fantasy. So she kept doing it too. "No." she smiled smugly. "I'll convince you to agree to that too."

Zulema's faked expression cracked. "Do you think we could pull that off?"

"What? Living with a flamingo staring at us?" Maca laughed.

"Doing all that... together." Zulema said quietly. Her voice was genuinely more serious now, hopeful even.

Maca swallowed. _Did you actually... like my fantasy?_ She came up with that story because Zulema wanted her to talk, but she didn't think of it as a possible future plan at all. But now that Zulema brought it up... "Are you really asking me now whether... whether I'd run away with you?"

Zulema just stared at her. "Hypothetically..." she said finally.

How come you are not planning to do all that with Saray?" Maca shook her head with disbelief. "And in the first place, we are stuck here!" she looked around gesticulating towards the shitty washing room.

"Saray is afraid of losing me. But the truth is that I've been already feeling like I was losing her, before she started to be afraid of that. I mean, I'm not afraid of losing her as a friend, but as a partner in crime... She'll soon have a child. And children come before anything else for her." Zulema sighed.

"Well... children usually come before anything else for any mother." Maca said more coldly.

"Right." the brunette bitterly bit into her lip and stared into a dark corner.

"So is this what I am to you? A plan B?" Maca asked, pulling a bit away from her, feeling slightly insulted.

Zulema laughed. "After everything we've been through, do you really feel offended because you were not my first choice for a partner in crime? And _just_ the second?"

"Yeah..." Maca laughed too. "That was stupid. And after all... I've been your first choice for other things." she said smirking and her. "And we don't even have to get out of here to be able to do that." she said leaning closer to her, being ready to kiss her again, but Zulema pushed her away from herself.

"Shut up! We won't be doing this for long here anyway..." she snapped and walked towards the door

Maca looked after her being alarmed. _Don't you dare pushing me away now! Don't you dare closing off again! Are you going to leave just like this?  
_

Zulema looked back at her smiling with an excited spark in her eyes as she pushed a box in front of the door. "...because I know how we'll get out of here." she said smugly. "But until then..." she shook her head giving Maca a pitiful look as she stepped back to her. "You'll have to pay for even having a picture in your head about having had tied me up. Apparently you liked me being angry with you in your fantasies, so... dreams do come true sometimes." she smiled, her face just inches away from Maca's.


	4. "Why are you still here?" [Season 4]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maca wakes up earlier from her coma.  
> (This is not a continuation of _"Why did you come?" [Season 3]_ )
> 
> Prompts used:  
> • Maca meeting Fatima (by @Olivia)  
> • Maca thanking Zulema for helping her // Maca seeing Zulema being hurt by a guard (by @msiumsiu, not exactly the settings you described, but similar)  
> • Zulema/Hierro (by @msmiumiu and @wayunderz), briefly - initially I wanted to write more about them, but since I brought Maca back too, it didn't really fit te chapter anymore 😶
> 
>  _Rating:_ Mature (possible trigger warning: mention of abuse/rape)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I've been totally stuck with those old drafts I kept mentioning on my latest chapters, although I was really enthusiastic about them. I guess the fact that I said that I am planning to write 10 such stories based on prompts and I got to 5 has given me a midway-crisis, lmao, I just... couldn't write. I might have lost a bit of interest too along the way, but I still found myself wanting to finish these fics quite often, so it was pretty frustrating.
> 
> So I decided to put the started drafts aside, for now, and try writing something new, and I wrote this more while being in the mood to simply write, than to write a fic, and that might be palpable. I don't know... 
> 
> This is my darker kind of fic, basically the result of me being in the mood to write some emotional baggage. The ending is softer, though. If you want to skip to the less angsty part, scroll to the _One week later_ part. 🙃 (Initially I wanted this to be split in two chapters, but I realized that I don't have enough plot for it so... yeah, this is it...)
> 
> But I hope you'll like it!

Zulema stormed out of the visitor's hall. She didn't want to see her mother, and she wasn't glad to having had seen her either. As if Sandoval wouldn't have been enough, wherever she looked she saw threatening, judging faces, she didn't need another one. 

"Hey... Wait!" Hierro caught up with her when she reached the corridor leading to her cell. "What's wrong?"

 _And this imbecile is also half threatening me, half soothing me..._ Zulema rolled her eyes, she turned around and instinctively wrapped her arms around the man, burying her face into his shoulder, and although she forced herself not to, she felt her tears flow down her cheeks. She was reaching the breaking point of what she could emotionally handle, and she hated herself for it. She despised the man, but ironically he was the only one truly aware of what was going on with her. And he could have stopped it. Maybe. If he wanted to. But he didn't seem to want to.

Yet Zulema still found herself drawn to him. Because it was a good distraction having someone else near whom he could hate, other than herself. And it was relieving to have someone she can let her anger out on, without feeling guilty. And underneath the facade of this toxic attraction, maybe she hoped that the man is not a complete insensitive asshole. She needed him not to be one.

"Help me destroy Sandoval." she whispered. 

"Stop being stupid Zulema..." he said pulling away from her. "Stop fighting! There is no way you can win against him." 

Hearing his words, Zulema felt anger boiling up in her, but she kept herself from strangling the man. "I expected some reassurance from you, you know... for once." she said bitterly, then she roughly pushed him out of her way, and walked further. 

.

 _How odd it is to be back..._ Maca walked through the corridor, feeling almost... nothing.

 _Yesterday I was dying..._ Sometimes she still had vivid flashbacks about a strong grasp getting hold of her, stopping her from floating away, dragging her back... _Here._

She lifted her wrist for the guard to take off her handcuffs, and stared into the cell he opened for her, he was about to say something, but Maca interrupted him.

"Save your breath! I know the drill." Maca stepped into the cell and closed the door of it in front of him.

There was no one inside. She threw herself onto the nearest empty bed and stared up at the dirty ceiling.

_Home, sweet home... How wonderful it is to be alive..._

She felt energetic, her mind was clear, she was basically reborn, and she was frustrated that this newly gained vital energy of hers was going to waste.

She didn't even want to see anyone. It felt nice to see Sole and Tere down there, but it wasn't like she was _glad_ to be _back_ to see them.

She saw Zulema on a corridor too, being lost in thought, looking awful, a guard hurried after her, and for Maca's surprise in the next moment she was in his arms, holding on to the man as if he'd be the last stable thing she can cling to. But it didn't last long, Zulema soon pushed him away. _What the hell happened while I was away?_ This was not the Zulema she remembered.

In fact... If she was honest with herself, the Zulema she now truly remembered was not the Zulema she wanted to remember to start with. 

The Zulema she now couldn't get out of her head was the one screaming desperately as if she was trying to pull her back from falling into the pits of hell. She even had a clear picture about the woman leaning above her, crying, although Maca was sure that she couldn't have had seen her back then. Yet she saw her, she heard her, she _felt_ her, and now she couldn't stop replaying the - _imaginary? - No... People can be aware of what is going on around them if they lose consciousness.... Although I've never been fully believing that... -_ scene in her head. She wanted it to prove to be unreal, just a messed up dream and nothing more. Because she didn't want to spend her time here owing her life to Zulema. The thought made her feel uneasy. And this thought combined with the way Zulema seemed worried about her did not go well together. They caused a turmoil in Maca's soul. She didn't want to owe her. And didn't want to feel sympathy for her. She just wanted to despise her from a safe distance.

But that didn't change the fact that Zulema breathed life into her. And as much as she wanted to, Maca didn't exactly despise her in that moment.

She was shaken out of her thoughts when a young girl stormed into the cell, slamming the door of it behind herself. She looked at Maca, slightly startled, when she noticed the stranger in her cell. 

"Why are you so angry?" Maca stared at her being annoyed. "There was no dessert left for dinner?" she asked mockingly.

"I don't know you, but I swear, you sound like my mother..." the girl rolled her eyes.

"She must be a lovely soul..." Maca sighed. She started to feel bad when she noticed that the girl was fighting her tears.

Maca didn't even know why she was rude to her. She shook her head. She was already fed up with the prison. With its mood. With its people. It was getting the worst out of her. And maybe she just didn't want to be mistaken for a newbie, as pathetic as it was. She hated herself.

It was just a scared, poor girl standing in front of her after all. Barely over twenty. Almost a child. A messed up, scared child. The kind who would probably sit alone for long hours with her headphones, listening to some noisy music she finds some comfort in, because she feels like the whole world is against her. Long dark hair framing her pale face, her eyes sad, but their colour a vivid green, with some kind of dark spark in them which made her rather beautiful, and for a moment Maca had the impression that she saw the girl somewhere already.

"What happened?" she asked still laying on the bed, just tilting her head to look at her.

"Nothing." the girl pretended that she didn't need any help or reassurance, but deep down Maca knew that she wanted and needed it. _I used to be like you..._ But she was not the right person to pull anyone under her protective wings, she wasn't even sure whether she's able to protect herself.

"What happened?" she sat up and repeated the question on a friendlier tone. 

"I feel threatened by almost anyone here! I... I can't trust anyone here!" 

Maca nodded. "You're a smart girl. Anything else?" 

"Isn't that fucking enough?!" the girl stared at her being puzzled. 

"You'll get used to it." Maca shrugged. "How long have you been here?"

"Four days. Five, with this one."

"You'll get used to it." Maca repeated with a sad smile. "I'm Macarena. What's your name?" 

"Fatima. And I hate it. You're not exactly new, are you?" she frowned.

"No, I'm not. You want me to call you differently?" Maca asked as an attempt the break the ice.

"No. It is my name... what would be the point of it?" the girl sighed.

"What did you do?" Maca followed her with her gaze.

The girl shrugged once again, she laid down on the bed and dragged the blanket on herself.

"I was born, that was my biggest mistake, I guess. But I am not in the mood to talk about my fucked up life." she said and with that she turned her back on Maca, faced the wall and pretended to want to sleep.

.

The morning was grey and cloudy, but Maca went out to smoke a cigarette anyway.

She noticed Zulema talking to her young cell mate near the fence. They seemed both distant and amiable. It looked unusual.

_What the hell do you need from the poor girl, you manipulative bitch?_

Maca wanted to talk to Zulema, but in the same time she dreaded the moment of meeting her. She was half disappointed, half relieved that she didn't bump into her during the breakfast. _What could I say to her? What should I say to her? Thank her for saving my life?!_

A guard approached them, and the girl left, leaving Zulema with him, and the two started talking. The more Maca looked at them the more it seemed that they were arguing, almost fighting. But then Zulema shook him by his jacket, pulling him closer to herself, and for Maca's surprise the man's hands wandered up to Zulema's face, soothingly framing it. It barely lasted a moment, he must have once again said something what Zulema didn't like, because she pulled away from him and spat into the man's face and the guard roughly grabbed her arm, pulling her back close to himself, what made Zulema grin at him.

The scenario made Maca feel uncomfortable. She couldn't figure out whether this was a guard who was harassing a prisoner or a prisoner who was harassing a guard, or... whether it was just a prisoner flirting with a guard, in her own twisted way... After all this was the same guard Maca saw Zulema with the day before. _But if this was Zulema flirting.._.

Maca didn't get to the end of the thought, because she saw that the guy kept being rough with Zulema, pushing her against the fence, her arm still in his visibly painful grasp.

Maca threw away her cigarette and stepped closer to the duo.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to talk to her." she said seriously. "Long time no see." she said with a fake smile blinking at Zulema.

The man turned around and gave Maca a questioning look.

"Oh... look at our sleeping beauty, Hierro!" Zulema said with a smirk, the previous frustration disappearing from her face and being replaced by a rather fake, mocking attitude. The guard let go of her. "She used to have a soft spot for guards too, did you know?" Zulema added more quietly, leaning back closer to him. "...If you are into blondes too, of course..." she added rolling her eyes.

It's been barely a minute and Maca already felt the urge to slap her. Hierro didn't seem to be impressed by the remark.

"I am telling you for the last time, Zulema, don't underestimate Sandoval!" he turned back to the brunette. "The sooner you give in, the less you have to lose. Take it as a warning!"

"Are you suddenly on my side?" Zulema pushed him away from herself with a disgusted expression. "Then stop doing whatever he asks from you! Have a backbone, for fuck's sake, you imbecile!"

Maca stared at her shoes, she looked up just when she noticed that Hierro was about to walk away, then she moved her gaze to Zulema, who stared back at her silently, like a statue, her eyes filled with restrained anger, just her hair moving in the air.

"Welcome back, blondie..." she said on a cold tone. "If you expected me to greet you with a warm, welcoming hug, you are knocking on the wrong door. I am not in the mood to throw you a party." with that she stepped around Maca, and was about to walk away.

Maca stared at her with disbelief.

"I don't want a hug. And you seem to not be short of any either..." 

Zulema stared at her frowning, then she suddenly grabbed Maca's throat. But then she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let go of her. "Don't act witty regarding things you don't know shit about!" she said bitterly.

"Sorry." Maca swallowed, and Zulema once again was about to walk away. "It was you who saved me, as I heard." Maca said calmly looking at the brumette's back.

Zulema stopped, and blinked back towards Maca above her shoulder. "You don't have to thank me. If you keep causing me trouble, I'll kill you myself."

Maca wanted to say something but she noticed that Zulema stared towards the other corner of the yard, where Fatima and Goya were talking, the girl feeling visibly uncomfortable. 

"For heaven's sake find someone else to play with, you pervert!" Zulema whispered between her teeth and kicked into a stone. 

Maca was surprised, she didn't know what to make out of Zulema's reaction. 

"How come you... care about her?" she stepped beside Zulema frowning. 

The brunette bit into her lip. "I don't. But the fat bitch is crossing some lines nowadays." Zulema said, and this time really walked away, turning her back on Maca, and the girl, and Goya, and stepped into the building.

.

"Did she really save your life?" Fatima asked after a long silence in the evening. 

"Who? Zulema?" Maca turned towards her. "Yeah, apparently she saved me to be able to kill me herself..." she said indifferently.

"She didn't kill you yet." the girl looked at Maca with a searching gaze.

"Do you think it's that easy to kill someone here?" Maca laughed. 

"Well.. it wouldn't be a big deal to her, I guess..." Fatima said bitterly. "And I've seen you two talking already. I am also surprised she hasn't yet killed that grumpy guard yet..."

Maca frowned. "Why would she?" 

"Haven't you seen? He's hurting her. And for some absurd reason it looks like she enjoys it. But I... don't want to imagine it." Fatima shook her head making a grimace.

Maca was trying to put together the pieces, but nothing made sense. She sat up and raised an eyebrow. "How come you know so much? What did she convince you to do?" 

"Convince?!" the girl laughed. "She hasn't convinced me to do anything. Except to stay away... She's barely talking to me..." she added.

"Why would you want her to talk to you?" Maca frowned. "I know her. And trust me, birdie, even if you think you'll be safer in her shadow, you're better off if you are not associated with her in any way!" 

"She didn't tell you, did she?" Fatima let out a bitter laugh. "Well... I guess it's too late for me to not be associated with her..." she said indifferently and once again disappeared in her bed. But she spoke up again a moment later. "How well do you know her?" 

"Well enough, I guess..." Maca said bitterly. "Unfortunately."

"Is she truly as awful as people say she is?" 

"Yes." Maca nodded then she blinked at the girl pondering. "She _can_ be that awful. But why do you keep-"

"Nothing. Forget it." the girl sighed as she laid back down on the bed. "I miss my mother." she added after a brief silence. "What sounds odd... because I barely knew her."

Maca didn't understand the sudden change of topic but she felt that the girl wanted to talk to someone so she rolled with it.

"Why? How come you don't know her?"

"I was told that she left me. Then I found out that I was taken from her. She visited me a couple of times, briefly. I think the last time I saw her was when I was eleven or twelve. She just appeared sometimes, she held me in her arms, and she sang to me. She barely said anything. And as stupid as it sounds, on days like that I felt like nothing bad can happen to me. But then she was gone, and I was left with the fading memory of the melody she sang and with my grandmother who didn't love neither me, nor her. Well... probably she loved me a bit more than her... It took me years until I found out why she stayed for so little whenever she appeared..."

Maca didn't know what to say. "Why was it?"

Fatima hesitated to answer. "She was in jail." she said eventually. "And when she came to see me, she was on the run. "And then she was locked up again, and... and after that I've never seen her again." Fatima said raising her chin to look at Maca with sad eyes.

Maca sat up and stood down on the other bed near the girl, wrapping an arm around her. "I'm sorry."

In that moment the door of the cell opened and Zulema stepped inside. She stopped, being slightly perplexed when she noticed Maca with her daughter in her arms. She was hoping that she'll find Maca alone. But for a fraction of a second a smile ran through her face, but only Fatima noticed it.

"Blondie... we need to talk." she said without looking at the girl.

"About what?" Maca asked impatiently. 

"About... Sandoval." 

"No!" Fatima jumped up and stepped between the two woman. "Don't even listen to her!" she looked at Maca. "Anyone who goes against Sandoval is doomed!"

"I appreciate that you care about my safety, birdie, but I know who Sandoval is." Maca said with a smile. "And..." she turned towards Zulema "I am not planning to get into any stupidity, especially not one which involves _you_." she added emphasising the words." 

Zulema nodded. "Fine. Whatever... Forget it." she rolled her eyes and left slamming the door behind herself.

The girl stared at the closed door. 

"You know what this is about?!" Maca turned towards her.

"Her." the girl said quietly. "Isn't everything always about her?" she asked bitterly.

.

"What do you want?" Maca asked coldly. Despite her common sense, something eventually made her want to listen to what Zulema wanted to say. "If I have to team up with anyone, I'd rather choose that poor girl in there, who hasn't seen her mother in the past ten years, not you!" she said angrily walking beside the brunette, trying to keep up with her.

"Good." Zulema said briefly. Then she suddenly stopped as they reached a window and lit a cigarette. "Did she really say that she hasn't seen her mother since then?" she looked at Maca frowning. "The little monster is also a liar..." she added with a bitter laugh. 

"What's your problem with her?" Maca looked back at her. "And how do you know? Do you know her mother?"

"Kind of." Zulema laughed, avoiding to look at the blonde. Maca noticed that her hands were shaking.

"What did she do? Her mother?"

"A lot. And not enough." Zulema said looking into the distance, blowing out the smoke. "Mostly, she was a selfish bitch."

"Well, whatever she did, at least she loved her daughter." 

Zulema raised her glance on Maca being surprised. "How do _you_ know that?" she asked with genuine curiosity. "Did the girl tell you that?"

"No. But... She said that she went back to see her. That couldn't have been easy and it was definitely risky for a fugitive." Maca shrugged.

"That was a long time ago. It's a miracle that she remembers it at all..." Zulema threw the rest of her cigarette away, and as Maca looked at her, for a short moment the brunette's eyes did not have their usual determined, mischievous, sometimes even cruel spark, they were just sad, lost even, and for a second Zulema looked just as helpless as the young girl looked the evening before and the resemblance made Maca's thoughts turn upside down.

"Wait..." Maca blinked at her. "Zulema... Is she your-" 

"No." Zulema nervously turned around to face her. "Didn't she tell you that she hasn't seen her mother for years? She's better off if she keeps thinking like that. And me too." she added coldly.

Maca stared at her with her mouth open. She couldn't imagine Zulema as a mother. "You truly are one huge... selfish... bitch!" she laughed in her face with disbelief. "Well... at least you're self-aware..." she added mockingly. And she woldn't have been surprised if Zulema would have slapped her, but the woman just stared at her stiffly, with an unreadable expression. She was indeed self aware... Maca tried to imagine Zulema singing to her child. _Where is that woman?_

"What did you want from me?" Maca sighed. 

"I can't trust anyone here. Not even Saray anymore. And I swear I don't trust you either..." Zulema laughed. "You did stab me in the back already, but I have no better option..." she said sucking her teeth and looking at Maca uncomfortably.

"What about the grumpy guard? There's obviously something between you two. You don't trust him either?"

"I _especially_ don't trust him." Zulema laughed. "He is Sandoval's right hand. And Sandoval is using my daughter against me to make me betray Altagracia, which means also giving up my only chance of getting out of here, so-" 

"Altagracia?" Maca frowned.

"Long story. We teamed up. I helped her escape. Now it's her turn to help me. But with this-"

"And that's a problem for you?!" Maca laughed interrupting her.

Zulema looked at her being puzzled. 

"Well..." Maca laughed. "If it would be me in your place, I would give up my freedom without much thinking, or yeah... I would probably even betray whatever dubious associate I had, if it meant that I know that my daughter is safe!" she said on a reproaching tone.

Zulema still stared at her with a stiff expression. "Well then, it is good that you don't have a daughter." she said sharply. 

Maca was perplexed. "What the hell do you want from me, Zulema?" she asked on a tired tone, being both shocked and in the same time not even surprised by Zulema's insensitivity.

"Help." the brunette said quietly looking somewhere above Maca's shoulder, but eventually she looked in the blonde's eyes. "I need your help."

"You're unbelievable..." Maca shook her head and now it was her turn to rub her face.

She was reluctant to answer. She knew that whatever Zulema is dragging her into, won't be an easy ride, especially not if Sandoval is on the other side of it. _But she also dragged me back to life. And it's about her child..._

 _I can't allow this sympathy for the devil thing to get to me!_ Maca tried to silence her thouhts. _I don't owe her! She just made up for some of the bad she did with saving me! I don't owe her anything!_

Zulema stared at her questioningly. Maca gave her an angry look, then she nodded.

"But I am not doing it for you." she said coldly. "I am doing it for her."

.

_One week later_

Maca found Zulema in the bathroom, sitting under the shower, her arms locked around her bare knees, her hair wet and messy, the water still flowing down on her back.

"Here you are... Zulema - Damn it! This is hot like hell!" she snapped when she arrived near her and felt the warmth of the water. She turned it off. "Stop with your stupid masochistic tendencies, they won't fix anything!"

Zulema started shivering and Maca only noticed it then that she was completely naked. It made her feel tense. She looked away, grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and handed it to the brunette.

Zulema took the towel, wrapped it around herself, then she laid back down burying her face in her palms.

"I almost got my daughter raped." she whispered. "If you don't inform Castillo..."

"She's fine. Nothing happened. Castillo is still here. They are going to start an investigation-"

"I almost got my daughter raped, Maca!" Zulema repeated looking blankly in front of herself.

"She's safe now. She's with the police. They'll bore her with questions for an hour more at least..."

"How do I look in her eyes? I _hesitated..."_ Zulema said whispering, brobably to stop her voice from breaking. 

Maca swallowed. She did have her opinion about the mother who hesitated too. But the woman who sat in front of her, feeling bad about it, did not need to hear it from someone else too. In this moment she apparently hated herself more than anyone else hated her. She reluctantly reached out and touched Zulema's face, running her thumb over her still wet cheek.

"You would have made the right choice. Be glad that Castillo arrived earlier than making a choice would have been necessary." 

The brunette pulled away from her touch.

"Zulema..." Maca shook her head. "I was looking for you to tell you... They started an investigation, but... apparently all the evidence points on the fact that the one arranging all that shit was... Hierro." Maca looked at Zulema searching her face for any reaction. "Sandoval made it sure to have a scapegoat at hand if-"

"Oh the poor idiot..." Zulema sighed leaning back against the wall with a bitter smirk.

"I'm sorry... I know that you two..." 

"We two what?" Zulema laughed. "We had some hate sex a couple of times and that was it." she said coldly. "Hate and anger is all I can have. And this is still not over." she bit into her lip.

"That is not all you can have." Maca said quietly. "It is just all you choose. Was that you punishing yourself too?" 

"Oh please..." Zulema made a grimace. "You're talking as if you'd know everything about me! A week ago you thought the same and you were damn wrong, weren't you? You have no clue about what it feels like to be me! To have your child used to manipulate you!" Zulema said angrily. 

Maca gave her a piercing look. "Right. I might not know _that_. Because my child never got to grow up to experience _anything_." she added sharply. "And yet I am here trying to reassure _you_ that things will be ok. So yeah, I guess I've earned the right to say that you too could also stop being selfish and angry and filled with hate! You could do the selfless thing, for once. Before it's too late. Do what Sandoval wants you to do. You'll find another way to get out of here. You're not looking like someone who would soon be ready to run anyway..." 

Zulema laughed up bitterly. "Why are you even still here?" she asked frowning and looked at Maca with a theatrically confused gaze. 

Maca stared back at her with disbelief. "I am here because you've asked for my help." 

"You said you're not doing it for me." Zulema said coldly.

"I wasn't." Maca looked at her angrily. Then she closed her eyes and exhaled before she looked back on Zulema. "But now I am, as stupid as it is from my part." she added with a sigh. "So pull yourself together and stop arguing with me. I'm _with_ you in this, damn it..."

Zulema swallowed and looked away. Maca grabbed her shoulders and made her look at her. 

"We'll find a way to stop that asshole. And maybe, _maybe_ we'll also find a way to stop him without you having to betray your dear friend." she said ironically. "After all it would be absurd if I'd be persuading you to be _disloyal_..." she added rolling her eyes as she straightened up. 

Zulema grabbed her arm, and a shiver ran through Maca's spine. She was used to be alarmed whenever Zulema touched her. Then she started to associate her proximity with... _care_. And now she was entirely confused about what she felt.

"Thank you." Zulema said quietly, looking up at Maca who stopped midway.

She nodded and knelt down again in front of the brunette. They didn't say anything for a short while, then Maca hesitantly wrapped her arms around her, embracing her awkwardly, but reassuringly. "We'll find a way." she whispered into her hair. And as she slowly pulled away from her, she allowed her lips to touch Zulema's skin and breathed a soft kiss on her cheek. When she became conscious of what she has just done, Zulema has already pulled a bit away too, and looked at Maca with wide open eyes, then frowning. 

"We'll find a way." Maca repeated seriously, before Zulema could have said anything, trying to drift the focus back on their discussion, but she couldn't help thinking about the fact that she has just kissed an almost naked Zulema. _Why did I kiss her? Wasn't hugging her enough for heaven's sake?_ And she couldn't stop her gaze from falling on Zulema's lips, who was still close to her, and still looking at her slightly perplexed.

"Why did you save me?" she asked almost defensively.

"What?" Zulema frowned, it took her a while until she caught up with Maca's sudden change of topic. "I've told you." she laughed.

"Cut the crap! You did help me before too. Why did you help me when Annabelle wanted to hurt me?"

Zulema started laughing. "Oh dear... I helped you because I needed something from you. Or I just wanted to annoy the idiots who were having fun torturing you, to remind them who is having the last word. You're not thinking it was ever anything personal, are you?" Zulema asked looking at Maca both mockingly and genuinely surprised.

Maca clenched her jaw. "No. I wasn't. I was just thinking that maybe you are not hopeless and you have some humanity left in you somewhere. Looks like I was wrong." she said coldly, almost being sad.

Zulema looked up at her. "Why do you care?"

Maca was alarmed by the question. She was planning to make Zulema get her shit tobether not to piece by piece let her know that she... _cares. When did I start caring anyway? And indeed... Why?_

Maca shrugged the question off. "I don't know. Maybe I get something out of it... I'd rather be with you than against you after all." she said neutrally. "You didn't think it was anything personal, did you?' she added with a restrained smirk. 

Zulema allowed a faint smile, but then she shook her head. "I admire you sometimes, you know?"

Maca was surprised by her words. She sat down near Zulema. "Thanks. Any other confessions?" she looked at her jokingly.

Zulema was thinking for a moment. "You were wrong. I was not exactly flooded with warm hugs lately." 

Maca blinked at her, her expression becoming serious. She once again reached out to Zulema, and for her surprise she leaned closer too and in the next moment they were hugging each other again, tightly, and this time with less awkwardness, and Maca found herself wondering about how many of the beasts were beasts because they just didn't have a hand to hold. Maca didn't even even realize when it happened, but her lips were back on Zulema's cheek, then on the corner of her mouth, and in the next moment she locked her lips with Zulema's, and she would have never imagined that kissing her would come this instinctively for her, she would have never imagined that kissing Zulema would be this... gentle.

But then Zulema pulled away looking at her being shocked. Maca wasn't even surprised. Everything with Zulema was a roller coaster ride. But it took enough time for Zulema to pull away for Maca to know that she didn't truly mind it. Each step they took into the right direction was followed by another one backwards. But Maca didn't even want to think about where she thought that the right direction leaded anymore. The voice in her head which kept telling her to stay away from Zulema was silent. And she was completely left at the mercy of her own instincts. 

"What the hell?!" Zulema asked. "This is not the right time for this, blondie! This is simply not _right!_ " she added shaking her head. "This doesn't make any sense!"

Maca nodded. "Yeah... But does anything that happens in here have any sense? Why should this be an exception?" she asked trying to sound calm. "Sorry if I... crossed a line. I just... I guess I just wanted you to know that hate and anger is not all you can have. Unless it is what you want." she added and stood up.

"You are undescribably annoying when you talk like you'd be the goodness incarnated..." Zulema shook her head looking after her.

"I am definitely not the goodness incarnated." Maca said impatiently. "I almost killed you. Twice. Did you forget it?"

Zulema jumped up, and in the next moment Maca found herself pinned against the cold wall, both of her wrists ending up in Zulema's grasp, her lips almost touching Maca'a face. _And there goes the gentleness..._

"You wanna be bad now?" Zulema asked smirking.

For a while they just looked into each others eyes. Maca struggled to admit to herself what she felt.

"No." she said eventually. "You're totally missing the point. I want you to not see yourself as the worst for once. That's not a virtue... But it's a start." 

Zulema laughed and moved closer to Maca, if that was physically possible. "I swear, I was serious when I said that I will kill you if you keep annoying me." she whispered into her ear.

"Don't get annoyed so easily." Maca said cheekily.

Zulema grinned at her, then she kissed Maca again, deeply, demandingly, Maca freed her hands and ran them up on Zulema's side until she losened the towel which was wrapped around her, but before it could have fallen on the floor, Zulema slowly broke the kiss, and grabbed Maca's hands, stopping them. 

"Let's don't go there. This is not the right time." she said with her forehead almost touching Maca's. 

"I understand. It's ok." Maca said. She meant it, she was glad to see that Zulema was getting her priorities straight, but she still started to feel weird as she looked at Zulema walking away from her and getting into her clothes. _What the hell did I just started?_

"We're not going to be awkward about this, are we?" Zulema blinked at her. 

"Of course not. To be entirely honest I have no idea how we got to this, or what this was, but... yeah, no awkwardness." Maca said awkwardly as she stepped near her.

Zulema smiled at her. "I want to make sure that my daughter is safe. And then... then we can find out what this was. And if we happen to not like it, we can always go back to wanting to kill each other, we were good at that game after all." she shrugged

Maca still felt confused about what she has just allowed to happen between them. This was Zulema after all, and she nowadays had to remind herself about who Zulema was, even though she was trying to remind the woman herself about the very opposite of it.

And she came to the conclusion that if she has put this much effort into convincing Zulema to give herself a chance, she should give her one too. 

She slowly stepped near Zulema, dangerously close to her, but not touching her in any way.

"A promise is a promise." she whispered into her ear smirking.

And a new voice from deep inside her was telling her, that no matter how this goes further, it won't come to them killing each other.

You don't want to kill somone you were afraid to lose. 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With these prompts I realized that I like writing earler Zurena too, although I did not ship them during these seasons. Well, I guess I ship them retrospectively, haha!  
>   
> Also, there was a very light-hearted fic I was trying to finish, I guess I'll go back to it after this. Maybe the contrast helps. 😋


	5. "You could be my escort" [aka The Fake Date]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> • fake date: _"Zulema and Maca attending a wedding together as a fake couple for a heist, slow-dancing together and doing couple-y stuff to blend in so their cover is believable"_ (by @ghj)  
> • humour (by @Green_Lantern), an attempt 😅  
> • them being soft (by @Al), briefly
> 
> I was very enthusaistic about this idea, I loved it!  
> Initially I wanted to make a more detailed plot for this one, with more prompts included, but it didn't want to take shape, so I left it like this. ~~I am struggling with plotting...~~
> 
> I hope you'll like it! I tried to make this one be more light-hearted and fun, and less drama. 🙃
> 
>  _Rating:_ Mature

"Ok. I get it." Maca nodded as she grabbed her coffee cup. "That sounds like a great plan. Awesome plan! But how are you going to pull it off on your own?" she asked casually as she took a sip of coffee.

Zulema has already finished hers. Now she blinked at the blonde, being slightly puzzled. "Why would I have to pull it off on my own?" she frowned.

It's been four months since they've been working together. To Zulema it seemed natural that whatever crazy plan she was summing up for Maca during their morning coffee, it counted as _their_ plan.

"Well, the guy is your dubious... _friend_. You are the one invited to the wedding, I have absolutely nothing to do there." Maca shrugged. 

"We can find you some reason to be there." Zulema said briefly.

"What? You'll throw me into the kitchen? You know very well that I can't cook to save my life." Maca said bitterly and took another sip of coffee.

Zulema's face remained serious. "No. You could have a fancier place. I never thought I'll ever end up saying this..." she rolled her eyes. "But... you could be my escort." she said calmly as she lifted her cigarette to her mouth, raising her glance on Maca, anticipating her reaction. 

The blonde almost choked on the coffee. "Your what?!" 

"My new girlfriend, fiancé, secret wife, whore... whatever you want to be, I don't care." Zulema shrugged. "It really doesn't make any difference. It's bad enough that I'll show up with a woman. I mean a woman in itself is not necessarily bad... but a blonde one... like you... I'll ruin my reputation." she sighed.

"What's wrong with blondes? Or with women like me?" Maca frowned. 

"Blondes are shallow." Zulema said indifferently. "And you are... Do you really want me to say that into your face?" she asked pondering.

Maca looked at her feeling offended, but she decided to ignore her question. "We could never pull that off!" she shook her head, laughing with disbelief. 

"Why? You were the one who keeps talking about us as if we'd be a married couple. We are living together, arguing, yeah... we don't love each other, and we've never had sex, and we never will, but aside of that... You're right. We're pretty much married already anyway." Zulema said offhandedly. "We can do it." she added with the hint of a smirk.

Maca looked back at her, still trying to process what the brunette was asking from her. "Are you expecting me to pretend that I am... in love with you?" she laughed.

"Come on..." Zulema urged her. "It's just a couple of hours. Some fake words, some fake smiles, everyone at a wedding does that after all..." she added rolling her eyes. "We don't have to kiss or anything like that, gosh..."

Maca was thinking for a short while, then she nodded.

"Ok. But I am not your whore." she said firmly as she stood up. "I'll be your charming and maniac fiancé you are crazy about, but who is not sure about settling with a... psycho like you." she said leaning closer to Zulema. "So behave yourself." 

Zulema looked after her. "You couldn't use the dark haired attribute right?" she laughed. "We all know that they are not exactly _not_ your type." Zulema grinned.

Maca stopped, feeling once again awkward.

"It is irrelevant though... It's just a hair colour." Zulema shrugged and Maca was almost relieved that she didn't insinst on the topic. _It's stupid, why does this even make me feel awkward? You are obviously not my type..._

The brunette placed one of her legs up on Maca's empty chair and grinned at the blonde. _"_ And we both know that you'd be here, stuck with me, even if I'd be a redhead." she said with a smirk, blowing out the smoke.

.

Maca stared at herself in the mirror of the bathroom in the fancy restaurant. "I look like a gold digger." she whined.

Zulema gave her a brief glance then she went back to arranging her hair. "You don't look like a gold digger. You are a gold digger."

Maca made a grimace. During the past weeks her initial awkwardness and fear regarding this little play disappeared, she actually got to the point where she could believe that they can do this. She got to the point where she was _excited_ about this. She was wearing a knee-length, dark red dress, cut up along her left thigh, and which left her back uncovered, only decorated with a few golden laces. And... a black wig. 

"I find it funny that you insisted on the wig." she laughed. "Am I more for your liking now?" she added with a smirk.

Zulema gave her a once-over. "I insisted on the wig becauese this way at least one of us can remain relatively anonymous." she rolled her eyes. Zulema went for a simple black jumpsuit with a silver belt. Maca couldn't help to notice that when Zulema was wearing anything else than her baggy everyday clothes she turned into the kind of woman who probably attracts most of the glances while in a crowd. Including hers.

Maca stepped behind her with a theatrically charming expression. "Well... then... I love it how you care about your fiancé." she leaned closer to her and blinked at Zulema, above her shoulder in the mirror.

"Cut the crap." Zulema sighed. "It's just the two of us here, no need to put on a show."

"We should practice." Maca laughed, and stepped away from her. "Did you find out where the rings are kept? We're pretty awful that we are actually stealing the wedding rings... Isn't that bad luck or something?" 

"I don't think so. They usually don't get stolen. But if they are snobbish and stupid enough to put almost all their money in something like that..." Zulema shrugged. "They are kept in a safe on the other side of the hall. The safe in itself is not a problem. I've learned some tricks, you know, but unfortunately we don't have much to do there, and we'd be in plain sight. We'll have to wait until-"

"We can dance our way there. Then I'll make a wrong step and hurt my ankle so that we'll have to hang around there." Maca shrugged. "If we get close enough, I can make some mess too while falling down, so that there will be a bit of chaos." 

Zulema didn't like the idea. But this was messier than the plan she was thinking about. And calculated mess is always welcome if you want to distract people's attention. So she nodded.

.

The main hall of the restaurant was spacious, moderately crowded, and the people annoyingly fake. A bunch of rich people with dubious backgrounds, probably all of them being both a friend and a foe to each other. Acting nicely, because they needed something from the other, but also being very alert, not to end up being stabbed in the back by the very same people. _Just like us..._ Maca looked around. _Just worse._

Some of the guests were already dancing, waiting for the ceremony to start. Maca reached out her arm and held Zulema's hand as they stepped back into the hall. She felt Zulema instincively try to pull her hand away but she came to her senses soon enough.

"You're being awkward. I've kept telling you that we should have practiced!." Maca whispered to her when they stepped on the dance floor.

"In your dreams." Zulema whispered between her teeth. "I can't believe that I don't have a better idea than this bullshit." she said with a forced smile as she stopped and turned towards Maca.

"This is the easy way." the blonde smiled. "It's just a dance... Think about it..." she said moving closer to Zulema. "It's a jewel worth a million and all you have to do is to dance with me to get it." she whispered into her ear flirtaciously as she put her hands on Zulema's shoulder, then she started laughing. "It must a big price to pay..." 

"The things I do for money..." Zulema said being annoyed while she placed her hand on Maca's waist too. She thought that this will be easier. She had no idea why she became so reluctant. Maybe she hoped that they'll go through with it without dancing or anything like that. Zulema thought that Maca was hesitant about this because she probably felt intimidated by her. But she had to realize that they've spent enough time together already, and although Maca was still suspicious at times, she was definitely not intimidated by her anymore. And apparently, for Zulema's surprise, especially not now. 

"Don't be so stiff." Maca whispered into her ear as she locked her arms behind her neck, then she looked at her. You're crazy about me, no?"

"I hate you." Zulema whispered coldly blinking at her with a smile. She hated that despite it being her bold idea, Maca was the one playing the role better now. "Even if I'm crazy about you, I'm not the slow dancing type. I prefer to jump around." she said bitterly. 

"We can jump around later. You wanted us to do this. Funny that you're the awkward one now."

"I am not awkward. I am concentrating. Unlike you."

"Uhum..."

"And I didn't want us to do this. The situation wanted us to do this. And the dancing was your idea." Zulema added seriously, turning them around so that she faced the right direction. _There's no way you're going to lead, though!_

"I hate you too..." Maca said warmly, locking her arms more tightly around her neck.

Zulema swallowed. "Don't overplay it..." she kept blinking towards he corner they were headed towards. Having Maca this close to her while not fighting, her chin occasionally almost on her shoulder was a strange feeling. But she couldn't allow it to distract her. _Why would it distract me at all? Her perfume is a bit too intense but other than that..._

The song ended, a bit too soon. Maca let go of Zulema and gave her a smile. _You're not a bad actress... On the contrary, you could be really good at playing a sly, double faced bitch if you are able to smile at me like that..._ Zulema thought _._

They weren't close enough to the safe, she was wondering whether they should keep dancing or just walk further with whatever reason. But before she could have cross-checked with Maca, a photographer approached them.

"Hey, sorry to disturb! You two seem to be such a charming couple! So close! So soft! And I'd like to make the guest pictures a bit more vivid and various. Would you mind posing for a picture?" he asked with enthusiasm accompanied by a genuine smile. Probably he was the only genuine person in there.

"No problem." Zulema smiled, internally rolling her eyes, and moved a bit closer to Maca. _Take it. Then go away! With quick steps._

"Oh, that's great!" he said happily as he took the picture. "Would it be too much to ask you to kiss eachother meanwhile?" he added lightly.

"We'd rather not do that..." Zulema shook her head laughing uncomfortably.

"She doesn't like public displays of affection much." Maca said on a friendly tone and wrapped an arm around Zulema. "But other than that she's pretty wild." she added with a knowing smirk. 

"I can imagine that." the man grinned.

 _I bet you can._ Zulema let out a bitter laugh. She felt the urge to slap both Maca and the man, or grab Maca's throat and make her shut up but she just looked at the photographer smiling then she turned to Maca and placed a kiss on her cheek. She was surprised to not hear the sound of the camera taking a photo. Maca started to cough.

"What are you waiting for?!" Zulema asked spreading her arms nervously as she looked at the man.

"That's lovely but... I was talking about a... real kiss, you know..." he said cautiously. "If it's ok with you..."

Zulema was about to snap a loud _Of course it's not ok with us!_ into the man's face but she didn't have the time to do it, Maca's lips stopped her, and to make up for her sudden and most likely visible surprise, she decided to lock her lips with Maca's, kissing her back, relaxing into it, until there was barely anything fake about it. It was a real kiss, just like what the photographer asked. _I swear that you'll pay for this..._ Zulema didn't even know who she was threatening in her mind. The photographer? Maca? Herself? _This was my idea after all, damn it! And I'm already paying..._ Her mind was raging, but her hand wandered up into Maca's wig and settled on the back of her head, pulling her closer.

"Oh, that's perfect! More than I could hope for! I swear you're the loveliest and most authentic couple here!" the photographer said as they pulled away from each other, trying to act natural. "I'm telling this only to you, but... this is the shittiest bunch I was working for since... a long time. I was just... afraid to say no." he sighed. "You made it worthwile. Thank you! Really!" he nodded towards them smiling and then left. 

The smile slowly disappeared from Zulema's face, leaving her staring after the man as if he would have beaten her in her own game.

"We're pretty good at this, apparently." Maca said being amused. " _Lovely, close, and authentic,_ you heard?" she turned towards Zulema laughing. "We deserve an Oscar."

Zulema grabbed a glass of shampaigne from the nearby table and drank it in one sip. "Then your hurting ankle will better be Oscar-worthy too, blondie." she said coldly. "'Cause if we bump into this guy again, I'll lose my shit."

.

"I thought you were going to fake clumsiness, not actually be clumsy!" Zulema said angrily as she tried to free one of the rings from Maca's dress. Its fancy embellishment got hopelessly entangled into the laces of it. The other one was safely in the pocket of her jumpsuit. "Damn it, it's stuck! If someone sees it hanging on your ass we're over! We'll have to cut it down... somehow."

"It's not on my ass, it's on my waist. And I had to hide it when those guys approached us!" Maca said defensively.

"You should have stuck with the theater part, you're good at whining! And you should have left this part for me to handle!" Zulema said nervously as she opened the bathroom door and pushed Maca inside.

In that moment someone opened the door of a cabin. Zulema instinctively placed her palm on Maca's waist, covering the jewel, but she realised how odd that must look like, so she moved closer to Maca, pushing her against the wall and buried her face into her neck as if they'd be making out. Maca brought her hands to her back. The older woman gave them a disapproving look while she washed her hands then she left.

"She's gone. You can let me go now." Maca whispered lightly when she saw that Zulema didn't move. She was afraid that this fake date thing will be too much for her, but it turned out that in the end Zulema was the one more overwhelmed by it. _Probably because I've settled some things with myself already. You didn't._ And Maca was pleasantly surprised that Zulema had to do that too at all. Her body was still pressed against hers. Her hand firmly on her waist, her lips against her jawline, still moving a bit downwards, but not away from her. Zulema could feel the movements of Maca's chest as she was breathing. She felt her hand gently run up her back as she talked, and for the first time during this evening it occurred to Zulema that Maca might not be acting, not completely. It occurred to her, because in that moment, she wasn't faking it either. She found herself wanting to prolong the moment. She found herself liking the proximity. She found herself wanting to kiss her again. 

"Zulema... someone is coming again!" Maca whispered.

 _Damn it!_ Zulema heard the footsteps too, she suddenly pulled away, grabbed Maca by her arm and dragged her with herself into the nearest cabin and closed the door after themselves.

"Woah, what the hell?!" Maca laughed, but Zulema placed a hand on her mouth.

"Quiet!" she whispered, with her lips on the other side of her hand, and for a brief moment they stared into each other's eyes, until Zulema looked away, but it was enough for both of them to realize what was going on in the other's mind. The cabin was small, they could barely move, but Zulema went back to try and remove the stuck ring from Maca's dress anyway. After a short while they heard the second woman leaving too.

"I thought we were going to fake an affair not actually end up making out." Maca laughed.

"Sorry. I overplayed it, you did it too." Zulema said coldly, still focused on her task. 

Maca laid back against the side of the cabin.

"I never thought that I'll ever say this..." she sighed. "But... you're a good kisser." she said seriously with an approving nod. 

Zulema's hands stopped working on her dress and she slowly raised her glance on Maca who looked down at her smirking.

And in that moment it was over, they both realized that they've lost the pretending game. Zulema straightened up, Maca's hand went to Zulema's face, and in the next moment their lips clashed, violently, their hands roaming each others bodies, struggling to remain quiet. They were kissing as if they wannted to devour each other, Zulema's hand wandered down on Maca's bare back, her hips, until it ended up touching her leg under her dress. Maca was cursing Zulema's outfit, she couldn't touch her skin anywhere else than her arms and her face, but despite her annoyance she didn't stop trying.

"I can't believe that we got to this." Maca shook her head once again laughing, while catching her breath. It would have been a lie if she said that she never thought about this, but she didn't expect it to actually happen.

"Call it practicing." Zulema shrugged. "That's what you wanted to do, no?" she smirked. Maca shook her head and went for another messy kiss, pulling Zulema back to her.

She wasn't holding herself back this time, Maca smiled at the thought that Zulema was now deliberately giving her that wild side she dared to insinuate. Her hands came back to her tigh, without notice disappearing under Maca's panties. Maca bit into Zulema's lip at the sensation.

"Damn it! I am not the type who has sex in a public bathroom..." Maca panted. "We could do this anywhere on earth, why are we doing it in a public bathroom?" she laughed. 

Zulema pulled a bit away from her, looking at her with an amused smile. She was about to say something, but in that moment a metallic noise broke the silence, as the stuck ring fell onto the ground.

"I got you, you reckless thing!" Zulema picked it up smirking and put it into her pocket. "Let's go back to the party." she looked at Maca.

Maca grabbed her arm with disbelief. "Don't you dare leaving now!" she said evidently desperately. 

"We got why we came for. The play is over." Zulema shrugged. "We should be there when they notice that it's missing." Zulema said seriously. "Let's go!"

Maca let out a frustrated sigh. "I really hate you!"

.

"Did we mess up everything?" Maca asked quietly.

They were sitting in the car, in awkward silence. Things felt different now than in the heat of the moment. Maca looked out through the window with a sulky expression. Zulema blinked at her lightly smirking as she was driving. 

"We didn't mess up anything. We have the rings." Zulema lifted her right hand and showed Maca the rings on her fingers. "Here, you can have one of them, cheer up!" she took one off and threw it into Maca's lap. "I don't get it why you are grumpy now." 

"Did you just give me a wedding ring?!" Maca laughed as she picked it up.

"Don't overthink it." Zulema said briefly, staring at the road.

Maca nodded. She took it as an answer to more than just the ring question. She decided to stop forcing a conversation and looked back on the road too. 

"Wait..." she frowned. "This is not the road which leads home.

"Yeah, it's not. We shouldn't go home until we're sure that we're not followed." 

"Ah... You could have told me that." Maca said bitterly.

"I thought it was obvious." Zulema shrugged. 

"Yeah." Maca rolled her eyes. She didn't have the strength to express her annoyance. The way Zulema kept acting as if nothing would have happened made her feel very uncomfortable.

After a while Zulema parked the car on the side of a road. "Get out! We're walking from here."

Maca raised an eyebrow and did what Zulema said. "You know, if I wouldn't be already past the point of caring, I'd start an argument now..." 

"Don't." Zulema looked back at her. _And don't pretend that you are past the point of caring... You're not that good of an actress after all._

They walked down on the hillside to a hidden little beach. The light of the setting sun painted the water into shades of orange, red and purple. The place was alnost wrapped in complete silence. Only the sounnd of the waves broke it.

"It's splendid, right?" Zulema asked when Maca caught up with her. 

"Yeah..." Maca said quietly. Then she turned towards Zulema frowning. She was once again feeling awkward, for other reasons this time. "Zulema, did you bring us here, because-"

"Because we have to make sure that we are not followed." Zulema said firmly and walked further, towards the water. She pulled down the zipper of her jumpsuit, let it fall to her ankles, leaving her in her underwear and stepped out of it. Then she looked back at Maca. "I hope you're not afraid of the deep water anymore. This side is pretty dangerous." She said smiling and stepped into the water, and in the next moment she was swimming out into the open sea.

Maca started laughing. _You'd never say it out loud, but this is a damn date!_ She took off her dress and followed her. When she swam close enough to Zulema she disappeared in the water and popped up somehwere else.

"Are you playing the hard to get now?" Maca shouted after her. "It doesn't suit you!" 

Zulema laughed as she turned towards her. "It doesn't suit me? What have I been doing for half of my life if not trying to be hard to catch?" she made a grimace and disappeared under the water again, only to suddenly come to the surface behind Maca, startling her. 

"Stop this bullshit!" Maca laughed. 

"Ok." Zulema shrugged and stepped out of the water, walking to the shore. 

"Hey, stop walking away too!" Maca swam after her. 

Zulema sat down on the sand, pressing the water out of her hair. 

"Admit it!" Maca said when she sat down near her.

"Admit what?" Zulema looked at her. 

"That you brought us here because I said that we could go anywhere-"

"This is not a fucking date, if that's what you're wondering about..." Zulema laughed. "We are hiding."

"Right." Maca nodded. Then she suddenly threw one of hegs over Zulema's and sat down into her lap. Zulema didn't react in any way, her face was unreadable, she just looked at Maca with the hint of a smile.

"I can't believe you are still wearing that ridiculous wig." she laughed.

"Oh, I even forgot about it." Maca lied. She was planning to tease Zulema with it some more but it didn't turn out like that.

Zulema reached towards it, took it off her head and threw it away. 

"What now?" Maca laughed being amused by the way Zulema was letting lose her blonde locks. "You realized you're stuck with me even if I am a blonde?"

"Nah... You just looked far too strong-minded as a brunette. It doesn't suit you." Zulema shrugged. 

"Fuck you, Zulema!" Maca said into her face, but she couldn't be angry at her. She was still sitting on her lap after all, and despite her insulting words, as surreal as it was, Zulema's fingers were still playing with her hair, then her hand rested on her shoulder, her thumb stroking her neck, a touch which has so many times been threatening, now it fel entirely differently. 

"This is not a date, there are no emotions involved, and this doesn't make us a couple. Ok?" Zulema looked Maca in the eye. 

Maca looked back at her pondering. _Yeah, of corse this comes with rules.._. _Why am I not surprised..._ "I'm fine with the latter two." she rolled her eyes. "But admit it, you chose this place, because you wanted it to be nice. You wanted to _be_ nice! It's not a weakness, come on!" she laughed. 

Zulema took a deep breath. "Fine. I chose this place because you said that we could fuck anywhere and you were not impressed by the public bathroom. I thought this one will do." she sighed. "You're happy now?"

"You said that very eloquently." Maca stared at her shaking her head, then she leaned in to kiss her, but before she could have, she found herself pushed on her back.

"Thank you. Then we can stop talking now." Zulema said and kissed Maca's neck. Maca ran her hand up her arm and rested it on the back of her head and she was still smiling at the fact that Zulema actually wanted to be nice to her.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Although I was very excited about this prompt, I am not exactly satisfied with the outcome. It feels like something is missing. But I spent so much time on it that I thought I should post it the way it is, because it probably won't get better anyway. The previous two chapters I've written so much more easily. No idea why. It's probably my general mood.
> 
>  _Coming up_ : A random party-night, out in the town, which will probably be nothing like what you imagine now, haha! 🤭


	6. Somethin' Stupid [aka that Valentine's Day when they went clubbing together to meet guys]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two_   
>  _And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid, like...."_   
>  _(Song by Frank Sinatra)_
> 
> _Rating:_ Mature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> • jealous Zulema (by @Valex)  
> • morning cuddles, affection and overall softness (by @notzule, @Valex, @Mushroomslover, @Superkara - there were so many requests for this, sorry if I forgot to mention someone!)  
> • the origin of the "Happy people live 20 years longer." (@msmiumiu)  
> • admitting feelings (@Al) - sort of 😅
> 
> You guys kept asking for cuddles and fluff, so THIS is the fic where I crossed my limits and made them more romantic squeezing a lot of fluff into this. But I coudn't just write them simply waking up and acting like that, that wouldn't be them imo, so... this is also kind of written with "my kind of their romance" in mind, BUT for a change, they don't keep pretending that there are no feelings involved! Not for long at least. 😋

"Out alone tonight?" a man stepped to Zulema who was drinking by herself near the bar. 

She turned towards him and gave him a tired smile. "Yeah, a bit of ecape from the routine..."

"People usually want more on Valentine's Day than escaping the routine, don't we?" the man smirked. "You wanna dance?"

Zulema nodded. "Why not?" She drank the rest of her drink and followed the man to the dance floor. _Yeah... Why not?_

"I've never danced salsa with a woman wearing cargo pants and a band hoodie." the man said still smirking when they started dancing. 

Zulema shrugged. "If you are picturing me in a short dress, don't do it. I never wear those." 

"Did you think I was picturing you like that?" 

"Weren't you?" Zulema raised an eyebrow. 

The man let go of one of Zulema's hands and put it behind his neck while placing his hand on her waist, decreasing the distance between them. "Not exactly." he whispered into her ear. 

Zulema rolled her eyes, and stared towards the crowd above his shoulder. She noticed Maca cheerfully chatting with a long haired guy. A guy she was dancing with a couple of times before. She was all smiles. Zulema barely ever saw her like this. She couldn't tell whether she was extremely happy or extremely fake. She leaned back against the wall, one of her legs flexed against it, Zulema was glad that she deceded to get into some jeans and a top and not some sexy dress. Everyone would be around her that way. _What does it matter? The guys are still circling around her anyaway.... And first of all, why do I care?_

"I am Franco, by the way. Do you come here often?" the man Zulema was dancing with asked.

Meanwhile the long haired guy reached out a hand to Maca and they started dancing too. _Again._

Franco, whose name Zulema didn't catch, turned them around and she lost sight of the duo. "You seem to be lost in your thoughts." he looked at her. "What's the matter?" 

Zulema moved her hand further back on his shoulder. "Nothing." she said and forced a smile on her face.

When they once again turned around she noticed Maca with the guy again, dancing up close, _far too close_ , far too intimately. Maca was lightly resting her arm on his shoulder, eyes closed, laughing. Now she really looked happy. Zulema knew this side of hers. She knew how Maca liked suddenly turning around while dancing and ending up in her arms, by chance. It made her feel strange seeing her like that with someone else. It occurred to her what it would mean if Maca would actually end up dating a guy, getting into a relationship, falling in love, starting a normal life. She saw as the guy leaned closer to Maca, and in the next moment he kissed her. Zulema forgot about the rhythm and stepped on Franco's leg. 

"Salsa is not really your thing is it?" the man named Franco laughed.

Zulema gave him an angry look. 

"It's no problem..." he said apologetically. 

"You know what?" Zulema sighed and let go of him. "I think I need some air... You can dance with someone else. Look, there's that girl... in a short dress." she added nodding towards a girl behind him, then she turned her back on the man and left the place without looking at anyone.

She didn't see Maca in the next moment pulling away from the guy either. 

.

Maca closed the door of the club after herself and took a deep breath.

It was almost midnight. The still noisy and populated downtown sounded almost quiet, the bass was still beating in her ears. She was having fun, but it felt good to breath some fresh air after getting out of that damned place where one could have been able to cut the smoke.

_But I can't complain, the place was my choice..._

Well, the almost fresh air... Maca smiled after she looked around. 

"What are you doing out here?" she stepped to Zulema who was smokig while sitting with her back against the pedestal of a statue, with a bottle of beer by her side, and gazing at a white haired man who was playing some well known songs on the saxophone in the other corner of the square. _A rather depressing tune in this moment_ , Maca noted to herself. "I thought we came here to dance. And to meet men." she said as she sat down near the other woman.

"I've danced. And I've met men. Each of them as insupportable as the previous ones together." Zulema said neutrally, looking at a fixed point somewhere in the distance, raising the cigarette to her lips.

"Then you should have gone for the first one." Maca shrugged.

"I am not that desperate." Zulema said calmly, then she turned towards Maca. "What about you, what are you doing here? You seemed to have fun with that long haired guy."

"He's a good dancer! He even knew how to dance samba! I haven't danced it for a decade I think, I missed it! It always gives me a kick!" Maca smiled.

Zulema turned her gaze away from the blonde. "It looks like a tribal mating dance." 

The blonde gave her a piercing look. 

"Seriously... it looks like you can't stand still and are confused about where to channel your energy." Zulema continued.

"Were you staring at me while I danced?" Maca laughed. 

"No! Heavens... I know what it looks like. It's too bouncy."

"It's called happy, Zulema..." 

"So what?" Zulema rolled her eyes. "People can be happy about a lot of stupid things."

"It doesn't matter. Happy people live 20 years longer." Maca said lightly. "You should allow yourself to be happy more often."

"It's ridiculous." Zulema sighed.

"Are you jealous?" Maca laughed. 

"What?" Zulema made a grimace as she blew out the smoke. "The fact that we slept together a couple of times does not mean that I care about what you do or with whom..." _And this outing was my idea first of all..._ "I was talking about the dance. And it _does_ look like a tribal mating dance." she repeated with conviction.

"What dances are for your liking then?" Maca asked getting the cigarette out of Zulema's hand and lifted it to her lips while moving a bit closer to her. "Don't tell me you're the walse-type!" she laughed. 

"Tango." 

"Tango?!" Maca stared at her being amused. "Well I'm afraid you won't get to dance tango here..." she sighed as she laid her back against the stone too. "It's too strict. And angry. It doesn't look like a tribal mating dance, but... it can also be rather... erotic." the blonde said wondering. "We can try it sometime, if you want to." she added offhandedly looking at Zulema. 

Zulema looked at her being surprised by the remark.

"I think you might have drunk a tiny bit too much, if you actually said that out loud." she laughed.

"No. Had I drunk too much, we'd be dancing already." Maca sighed and gave the cigarette back to Zulema with a smirk, catching her gaze for a moment, with a mischievous spark in her eyes. 

"You've definitely drunk too much." the brunette shook her head laughing.

"And you haven't drank enough! Come on, you wanted to have fun, all this was your idea, and I find you sitting here on your own..."

 _Yeah, it was my idea to come out to hunt for men. On Valentine's Day. Together. One of my stupidest ideas, probably..._ Zulema realized that she didn't even want to meet strangers in the first place. She was still trying to get to the root of what made her think that this was a good idea at all.

"Were you looking for me?" she grinned.

"No. I came out to get some fresh air. I thought you disappeared with a guy." Maca added on an indifferent tone. _And I was hoping that I was wrong and you just got fed up with this party. Yes, I was looking for you._

"I am past the phase when I'd disappear with random strangers. To be honest the last couple of times I cringed when I had to leave a random motel room and get away from a guy whose name I didn't even remember, or didn't even care to ask. And the fact that I was glad when they didn't even ask my name, just made it worse."

 _Damn it... I drank too much too..._ Zulema swallowed. _Why did I even tell you this?_

"Then why did you want to do this?" Maca frowned. "I would have also been fine with having a lazy evening at home..."

The truth was that Maca felt both relieved and hurt when Zulema came up with the idea. Relieved because them spending it together would have been awkward. Hurt because the thought of Zulema wanting to spend it with anyone else felt frustrating for her. Even if she also insisted about the fact that there were no feelings attached to their... whatever it was what was between them.

 _Maybe exactly because of that... Maybe because I didn't want to spend another day with you locked in that trailer._ Zulema thought.

She dreaded the moment of drinking a tad bit too much at home again and ending up playing couple with the blonde. It always ended with them waking up awkwardly, blaming it on the alcohol, and continuing their life as if nothing would have happened, while squeezing as many annoying insults in the next day as they found room for. Something started to be awkward between them, and that was worse than the awkwardness after sleeping with a stranger. Because they knew each other too well.

"I wanted to party. And just asking you to come with me would have been weird... And I was in no mood to come alone." Zulema shrugged.

"Why would it have been weird?" Maca asked naturally, but being totally aware of the answer.

Zulema looked at her again, but when she met her gaze she looked away. _Because it would have been weird, damn it, what other reason do you want to hear?!_

She wanted to do this because she wanted to prove to themselves that there was nothing substantial between them. That they didn't _care_. That they were able to go out together and flirt and have fun with others. She didn't expect to find herself unable to have fun with others while from the corner of her eye she saw Maca flirting with a random guy.

"You know..." Maca leaned closer to her after a while. "I think we are drunk enough to find a solution to your problem too." she said smiling and looked at Zulema trying to catch her reaction in the lamp light.

"What problem?" Zulema raised an eyebrow.

"Well... I know your name... You know mine..." she whispered to her smiling. "And you don't have to leave in the morning." she smirked, her lips almost touching Zulema's cheek.

Zulema didn't pull away from her, she just let out a bitter laugh and gazed back at the sax player. _So nothing about all this is bothering you?_ The music made her feel nostalgic. It reminded her of a part of herself she didn't think that existed anymore. But now she found herself longing to be like that again. The usual part of her wanted to go with Maca's initiative, but this part of her would have wanted to end this bullshit for good. She shook her head. "No."

The blonde bit into her lip nervously as she straightened up. She nodded, trying to hide her disappointment by the blunt rejection. "Ok then, I think I'll go back and look for the samba guy." she said sharply and was about to stand up. 

"I mean I am not the kind of person who likes to blame things on the alcohol." Zulema said still focused on the man. 

Maca blinked at her. "What? We've done that a couple of times already." she laughed. 

"That's the point. You know me, I either want something or I don't." 

"I am not sure if I am getting your point..." Maca looked at her being puzzled.

She didn't know whether this meant that Zulema regrets the times when they were together, or she wants to stop blaming their hookups on them being drunk. Both of the versions made Maca feel uncomfortable. The first for obvious reasons, the second because she kept doing that because she thought that Zulema would not play along in any other way. And probably also because she was afraid of the possibility of it being anything real herself.

She didn't want it to be anything real. Because if it turns out to be, Maca didn't see herself capable of getting out of it. And she wanted out. She wasn't planning to tie herself to Zulema for long. So she instinctively contrabalanced each move they made which got them closer to each other with something what would keep them at a safe distance, even if it was cold or maybe even hurtful. She thought that could work. It only occurred to her lately, that maybe the fact itself, that she knew that she wouldn't be able to get out, meant that she was already in too deep.

And that became the clearest when she excused herself for David, the samba guy, after he tried to kiss her, telling him that she doesn't feel well and needs some air. And that she doesn't want him to accompany her, because a friend of hers is waiting outside and she'd like to catch up with her. She had fun with him, but she realized that she didn't want anything else.

Maca bit into her lip again and sat back down near Zulema. The brunette was humming the song the sax player was playing. A happier tune this time. Maca didn't want to urge her to get an answer.

"You don't want to dance anymore?" Zulema turned towards her when Maca sat down.

"No. I want to know why you seem to be troubled. You know, I kind of hate myself for it, but I care about you. So I can't go back shaking it when I know that you're sitting here by yourself."

Dancing with the guy was fun until Zulema was drinking and flirting with other guys too. It became pointless when she lost sight of Zulema. And now, knowing that Zulema didn't enjoy doing that, suddenly took all the fun out of it. It almost felt wrong.

"I'm fine." Zulema laughed. "I just might have realized that I'm also fine without chatting or doing anything with strangers today. You can go away..." she shrugged, then she shook her head and smiled at Maca. "Go... Find your samba guy! Have fun!" _You're free to do whatever the hell you want after all..._

Something changed in Maca's eyes hearing the last sentence. Because it didn't sound like Zulema sending her away. It sounded like Zulema really wanting for her to have fun. Even if she didn't. Maca made a bold decision in the fraction of a second. 

"What if I want to have fun with you?" she asked, kind of putting everything up on one card. 

Zulema shook her head laughing. _My disaster plan has really turned against me..._

"I'm sorry, I'm not good at samba." she said. "And to be honest I'm not eager to go back there. I prefer my kind of cigarette smoke." 

Maca laughed. "You're kind of a lone wolf!" 

_I am not a lone wolf. I never was_. Zulema watched as the smoke disappeared when it left the lamplight. _The moment I started to feel alone I went looking for you, didn't I?_

"We can have fun here too." Maca shrugged. "Do you have more cigarettes?"

"Bring your own..." Zulema threw the pack into her lap. And she felt a kind of relief, serenity even, when she saw that Maca wanted to stay.

They sat in silence for a short while, just smoking, and listening to the music, in a comfortable silence.

"Did I ever tell you that Hanbal liked the saxophone music?" Zulema broke the silence.

The question shook Maca out of her thoughts. It made her feel tensed. This information, and just simply Hanbal's name, put Zulema's entire mood in a different perspective. 

"No. Did he also play it?" she turned towards her. Zulema barely told her anything personal from her past. Now she looked unusually nostalgic. The good kind of nostalgic. _You have drunk enough to not want to keep up your facade..._ Maca smirked to herself.

"No. But he loved it. Once while traveling we booked a fancier hotel room, we found some vinyls there and he put one on. This kind of music. And he started singing to it, making up his own lyrics for it." a smile ran through Zulema's face, a genuinely happy smile. "That was the first time he told me that he loved me." she said, and in the next moment the smile disappeared and Maca could see how the clouds of guilt overshadowed her joy.

She didn't know what to say, she was surprised to see Zulema opening up like this for her. She was amazed by the thought of a younger, happier, less messed up Zulema. "That must have been lovely."

"Yeah. It was. He was the only person who was able to love me for who I was." she laughed. "That was still possible back then, I guess." she added bitterly. 

Maca felt the urge to say something, to reassure her, but nothing felt right in the moment. She wasn't exactly happy about them talking about Hanbal now, but this was Zulema with no, or barely any filters on, and Maca wanted to see more of this side of hers. She hesitantly placed a hand on the brunette's arm. 

"Oh dear..." Zulema laughed. "I've definitely drank too much too... I'm talking shit!" She grabbed her beer bottle and took a long sip from it, just to do something, not because drinking more would have solved the problem, then she handed it to Maca.

Maca gave the bottle a look. "Keep handing this to me, I did warn you that if I'll get more drunk we'll end up dancing together... or doing who knows what." she added smirking.

Zulema gave her a don't you dare look. 

"Come on..." Maca grabbed the bottle. Zulema kept holding on to it. "It's not like we wouldn't both be willing to do all that while being sober." she shrugged and when she managed to get it out of Zulema's hand she took a long sip from the drink. "It's just easier to pretend that we don't actually want it, no?"

Zulema turned towards her, being a bit alarmed by the question. 

"Now seriously... did you really believe that I only slept with you because I didn't have full control over my decisions?" Maca continued. "And did you really think that I don't know you well enough, to know that you'd never let that happen to you? You're a control freak, Zulema!" she smiled. "So tell me... What is your problem? Are you fed up with me, or are you fed up with pretending that you don't care about me? Is that what all this was about? Trying to prove to me that you don't care? Or trying to prove it to yourself?"

"What?!" Zulema frowned, being disturbed by the questions. It was straight on infuriating for her to be called out on her own bullshit. 

But Maca ignored her reaction. "Because, as you can see, I am fed up with pretending that I don't care..." she shrugged.

Zulema swallowed. She wanted them to stop coming up with stupid excuses, but the direction their conversation took still made her feel uneasy. It was one thing to be fed up with how things were, it was something else to actually take a step and change it.

Maca leaned back and rested her head on Zulema's shoulder. "Wait... don't even answer... we are both drunk, it would be pointless. We don't have to have sex tonight." she sighed. "If you'll still want it in the morning let me know." she said and closed her eyes. "And if I fall asleep here, wake me up if you leave, don't you dare leaving me here on the side of the road..."

"You're totally drunk." Zulema blinked at her laughing, being slightly relieved. This new attitude of Maca's made her feel more comfortable. She was used to a colder side of hers. But she was wondering whether it will stay after the alcohol leaves her body too. She wanted it to stay.

The sax player started to play a well known Frank Sinatra song. Maca started humming it, but apparently she struggled with the lyrics. Zulema instinctively sang along, helping her out.

" _And if we go some place to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me.._." Zulema sang, thinking about the irony of accurate the line was and raised her cigarette to her lips. 

_"And afterwards we drop into a quiet little place and have a drink or two."_ they continued laughing. _"And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid..."_

Zulema stopped singing when it came to the last couple of words, but it was the part everyone knew, and Maca sang on.

"... _like I love you_." 

Zulema felt Maca moving closer to her, and continued humming, but the blonde once again couldn't keep up with the lyrics. Then she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Zulema, being slightly alarmed, her mind catching up with her actions with a bit of latency. With too much latency in this case.

"Those were the... actual lyrics." she said awkwardly.

"I know." Zulema answered smiling. And she was surprised that she was just simply amused by the situation, no heavy feelings attached. "I just forgot that part." she lied. She was not drunk enough to sing it after all. "It's been a while... Don't worry, you didn't spoil anything." she added jokingly. _Except for my ingenious plan to provee that we don't care._ But the thing Zulema couldn't have cared less about anymore was the very plan.

Zulema's answer was double edged, but Maca leaned back again being relieved. "I like you sometimes, you know?"

The brunette raised an eyebrow.

Maca shrugged. "Yeah... I like you sometimes." she repeated the words tilting her head to smile at Zulema. 

Zulema stared back at her, for the first time feeling like what she longs for might not be entirely impossible. _But you are drunk!_ "I am fed up with you sometimes. I swear that I am..." she sighed and took a sip from her drink, then she looked back at Maca. "But a lot more often I am glad that you are here." she added.

Maca moved back closer to her again playing with the strings of Zulema's hoodie. Her thumb ended up stroking her jawline, and she was wondering where this side of Zulema was in the past years during which she made herself look anything, but... _loveable._ Her lips got dangerously close to Zulema's, and the brunette got to the conclusion that she'll let Maca kiss her, but then Maca changed her mind and straightened up.

 _I am totally out of my mind, damn it!_ But while thinking this Maca felt like all the alcohol caused euphoric clouds left her mind, and she was thinking entirely rationally. Or just a revelation more pwerful than those clouds took over her mind. She blinked at Zulema, and she saw a drop of disappointment in her expression. Insecurity even. She wanted to kiss her, but this was not the moment. _We'd shove it under the carpet again, like we always do.._.

"No... You are right. We are both drunk. This is stupid..." she said shaking her head. "Are you sure you don't want to go back? I am not going to fall asleep here apparently... And now that we are here, I could teach you some samba steps." she grinned. "No, don't laugh! You'll like it! It's an uplifting dance! Let's have some fun! We can be strict and angry later." she smirked and started pulling on Zulema's hoodie.

"Thirty minutes." the brunette said as she stood up. "Not a minute more. If you have one more drink, I'll have to carry you home, and I won't do that!"

Maca smiled when she saw that Zulema went to the sax player and placed a 20 Euros banknote in his hat. _I really do like you sometimes..._

.

Zulema rolled on her other side yawning, stretching her arm, which slowly landed on Maca's waist. She opened her eyes, being slightly alarmed, and pulled her hand away. _Fuck!_

"I don't mind." Maca said lightly with a smile as she was reading something on her phone. 

"Sorry, I didn't know you were... here." Zulema muttered being confused. _Why are you here?_

"Cut the crap, Zulema. If you want to hug me, hug me!" Maca said without looking at her. " _I don't mind._ " she repeated smiling.

"I don't..." Zulema wanted to say something, but as she stood up in the bed, she had to realize that she was almost naked, wearing only her panties. She fell back on the bed and pulled the blanket back on herself. _What the hell?! Am I having blackouts? How much did we drink last night?!_

Maca started to laugh as she looked at her. "You should see yourself! Relax... It's not the first time I see you naked. Don't be so alarmed... Nothing happened. Well... actually... to be more specific things happened..." she corrected herself smirking. "But nothing happened what should make you feel startled." she rolled her eyes. "To be honest I don't get it why _that_ would make you feel startled at all nowadays, but... oh well..."

Zulema's memories from the night before slowly came back. She was still scanning through them to make sure that Maca was not lying. They ended up dancing, first on their own, then together, in many ways, having fun, jumping around, laughing, eyes locked, fingers wandering up into each other's hair, arms around each other, eyes closed, lips meeting - _Damn it! Were we randomly kissing?!_ " - naturally, slowly, deeply, happily...

"I am never going out with you again." Zulema sighed rubbing her face. 

"I am never buying your time limits ever again." Maca laughed as she put down her phone and turned on her side towards Zulema. "I've told you that you'll get in the mood of it if you give it a chance. We arrived home at 6 am, you were so tired that you threw off your clothes, fell on the bed and in the next moment you were sleeping." she said with a grimace.

"I know. I am not having any blackouts. I was not _that_ drunk!." Zulema said being annoyed. 

"Really?" Maca moved closer to her. "Then you also must remember that-"

"I don't want to have sex now." Zulema said sharply. 

Maca laughed. "I thought so... Thank God you usually wake up earlier than me! You are extremely grumpy when you sleep in...I woke up, took a shower, had breakfast - I made some sandwiches for you too, by the way, they are on the table - then I scrolled through the shitty news, and you were still sleeping..." she rolled her eyes. "But sex wasn't what I was thinking about. And neither what you were thinking about the whole evening..."

Zulema tilted her head to give her a questioning look.

"You were circling around something last night, I realized it. But I couldn't put my finger on what exactly bothered you. I've realized it since."

"Wow. Congratulations! And what was bothering me? Please enlighten me too..." Zulema said ironically.

"You long to be loved!"" Maca said slowly placing a hand on her arm. "But you don't think you are lovable anymore." 

Zulema laughed, uncomfortably. "That's bullshit!"

Maca nodded. "I agree." 

Zulema swallowed. 

"If I got it all wrong, tell me that directly, but don't pull away from me just because you think you're not worthy of being loved. That's not up to you to decide." she whispered into her ear as she placed her chin on her shoulder. "That must sound terryfying for the control freak in you, but you have to deal with it." she added jokingly.

This was a lot of information for Zulema to process, but she didn't want Maca to notice that her words hit home.

"Do you want me to hug you?" she raised an eyebrow looking at Maca.

The blonde shrugged. "It's ok if you don't want too. You've hugged me plenty of times already last night." she smirked. "I just don't want you to close off again." she said more seriously. "We were getting along pretty well without the facades on too, weren't we?" 

Zulema didn't say anything.

"I _liked_ the way we were without the facades on." Maca said.

Zulema decided to not say anything. She just got hold of Maca's hand which was still on her arm and turned on her other side. with her back towards the blonde, but still holding her hand, making Maca think that it's safe to snuggle up against Zulema's back. For a short time Zulema allowed herself to feel the warmth of Maca's body behind herself. Sex was one thing, but they never allowed themselves this kind of intimacy. She felt Maca placing a kiss on her shoulder.

"I am glad that you're here." Zulema said quietly. Again.

Maca had the impression that she wanted to say more, but something was holding her back. She placed a finger under Zulema's chin making her look back at her. 

"Those were not jost the actual lyrics." she said.

Zulema smiled at her. "I know." She continued only after a short silence. "And I lied. I did not forget them. I was just afraid to say them out loud." 

"I know. I was afraid when I became conscious that I did say them out loud too." Maca laughed. "But then you made me realize that I don't have to be. Why are you still afraid then?" 

Zulema turned on her other side, facing Maca. "Because we do have things to lose if this doesn't work out." 

"I always said that our duo will blow up one day. Even if it doesn't work out, isn't that a better way for us to blow it up than the alternatives we've been imagining?" the blonde asked jokingly.

Zulema'a expression became more serious. "Maybe I don't want it to blow up, at all."

Maca leaned closer to her, their lips almost touching, but then Zulema sat up.

"I'm... going to take a shower." she said. But then she leaned back to Maca and placed a quick but emphatic kiss on her jawline. "I need a shower." she said firmly.

"You know how to ruin the moment..." Maca sighed falling back on the pillow. "Although... it's not a bad idea. Your hair smells like samba guy's cigarette smoke. You don't want me thinking about him when you kiss me, do you?" she smirked.

Zulema threw a pillow at her. Maca threw it away and grabbed Zulema's arm pulling her back to her, and kissed her. 

"I kept thinking about you when I danced with others last night." she said when she broke the kiss. "I just wanted you to know."

"I kept thinking about your samba guy now when you kissed me. Thanks for that..." Zulema made a grimace and stood up.

"I'm fed up with you sometimes too..."

"Thank you." Zulema said quietly as she was looking for some clothes.

"Thank you?!" Maca looked at her frowning. 

"Yeah... You're still here." Zulema smirked.

Maca blinked at her being surprised. "Yeah... I am not sure what this tells about me..." she said pondering, but then she shrugged it off. "But you're also here."

"Let's see what sandwiches you made." Zulema said changing the topic and quickly got up from the bed, the blanket still wrapped around her. She took one from the plate and took a bite from it. "This has no ham in it, and you also forgot the..." Zulema swallowed the end of the sentence as she chewed on the food. "But it's still good." she forced a smile. 

Maca stepped near her and took the sandwich out of Zulema's hand. "You don't have to pretend that you like it. I know that you don't. This is mine." she said smiling and turned the plate around pointing at some other sandwhiches. "Those are yours. With ham. And mayonnese." she smirked.

Zulema looked at her surprised, maybe a bit too long.

"Now go and take that shower!" Maca said impatiently.

.

Ten minutes later Zulema stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. "You could have told me that I looked like the Joker with yesterday's smudged makeup..." 

"I've seen you looking worse." Maca shrugged putting some sugar into her coffee.

"It's relieving to know that we are not starting to compliment each other now." Zulema sighed.

Maca blinked at her. "You want me to compliment you?" she frowned.

"Your mind must work with some really bad algorythms if that was your conclusion..." Zulema made a grimace.

"Did you wash off your decent layers too? You're annoying." Maca stared at her with her hands on her hips.

"You're rude." Zulema looked at her smiling.

"You're aimlessly cantankerous." Maca took a step towards her.

"You get insulted far too easily..." Zulema smirked.

"I hate you... " Maca kept walking towards her which resulted in Zulema's legs bumping into the side of the bed, and she fell back on it.

"No, you don't." Zulema looked up at the blonde smiling. 

"You're lovely when you're hungry for affection." Maca said smirking. 

"Hungry for..." Zulema frowned. " _Lovely_?!" she made a grimace.

"Uhum..." Maca crawled into her lap and pushed her back on the bed. "In the end you didn't want to hug me, you wanted me to hug you." she shrugged. 

Zulema sat back up resting her weight on her elbows. "What are you planning to do... to aggressively cuddle with me?" Zulema laughed. "This angle doesn't suit you." she pouted.

"Shut up!" Maca pushed her back again. 

"Make me!" Zulema grinned.

Maca rolled her eyes then she locked her lips with hers again. And maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her, but for the first time she felt that Zulema's hands which ran over her back were not just led by lust, but also by... something more selfless.

"How did we get here?" Zulema asked. "We must have lost our minds along the way..."

"Were we ever sane?" Maca laughed. "There was a time when you used to grab my neck every two days... Where did that habit of yours disappear?"

"You miss that?" Zulema raised an eyebrow. And in the next moment she turned around and rolled them over, trapping Maca under herself. "There was a time when you used to feel threathened and not turned on by it." Zulema said moving her hand up towards neck. "I had to stop doing that when you started considering it foreplay. It took us far too much time to get anything done." she sighed. 

"Is this foreplay then?" Maca raised an eyebrow. Zulema rested her head on Macas's chest, her fingers leaving the blonde's neck and her hand settling on Maca's stomach. It usually used to go further down, and for the first time Maca wasn't disappointed that it stopped there. _This is not just foreplay._

"You know, I have no fucking idea about what love is anymore..." Zulema said after a while. "But I am happy with... what we have. And I hope that you are too."

"I do still have a faint idea about what love is..." Maca said pondering. "I am happy too. And I am glad that so are you. And if I am not mistaken... This is it." she said smiling as her fingers wondered into the dark hair.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, I think this was the fluffiest fluff you've read from me. You're welcome 💌


	7. A Christmas Carol [One year after Maca left, they meet in a crowded store]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Prompts used:_  
>  • Maca leaving and actually working as a cashier and Zulema recognizing her in a store (by @Olivia)  
> • It's Christmas and Maca realizes that she misses Zulema and wants to celebrate with her (by @Mandy)  
> • Roman meeting Zulema again (by @Al)  
> • Maca regretting that she said to Zulema that she's like a cancer (by @Olivia), partially.  
> • a more open and more vulnerable and a slightly depressed/slightly PTSD suffering Zulema (by @Jen, briefly, and not the exact context you mentioned, I didn't want this to be too angsty, but similar)  
> • Zurena family with Maca's baby (by @Superkara, @Mushroomslover, @Green_Lantern)  
> • Mistletoe (by @Olivia, althought this was already written when you posted that prompt 😋)
> 
>  _Background:_  
>  Everything from canon up to the point when Maca decides to leave, with the exception of Zulema's cancer.
> 
>  _Rating:_ General/Mature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is filled with Christmassy clichés. But I tried to give a twist to them. 🙃
> 
> And thank you so much, once again, for being here to share all the love and joy and frustration what this series offered this year! 🤗
> 
> ❤🎄🎁 Merry Christmas Everyone! 🎁🎄❤

"19 euros and 50 cents it will be." Maca said mechanically, took the money, handed over the bill, and moved on to the next customer.

Another chocolate Santa. Another chocolate snowman _._ _Zulema was right... this job is killing me... Thank God I am not doing it for a living! But if I have to listen to Last Christmas or All I want for Christmas is you being played as background music once again, I am going to lose my shit! The Santa hat I must wear is ridiculous enough..._

"Good morning!" she smiled at the new client _._

Half an hour later she was still seeing chocolate in every cart. And now also a huge stuffed bear... _That's actually cute._

_I should be with my daughter not waste my time here! But someone the kind of rich as I am has to keep up the facade... I wasn't even supposed to work today. I don't give a shit about the high payed shifts, but I am kind enough to help out a colleague. Well... she now owes me for this!_

_"_ 44 euros, please." she said looking at the screen, barely blinking at the man in front of her, who left her 45 euros and hurried away." 

Chocolate once again. But a single chocolate bar this time. A Jägermeister. And a pack of expensive cigarettes, probably no one ever bought from this store before. _Weird choices for today..._

 _"_ It's unbelievable that people are allowed to smoke here!" someone from the line complained. 

Maca closed her eyes, she was fed up with people and their complaints. She was so much in the autopilot mode that she didn't even notice that the woman in front of her had a burning cigarette between her fingers. She didn't even care.

"23 euros." she said automatically. "And you are indeed not allowed to smoke here." She left 17 euros in front of her and turned towards the next one, the guy had apparently bought stuff for at least a month.

"Excuse me, you've mistaken the change." the woman said calmly and her voice sent shivers down Maca's spine. _No... It ca 't be... "_ I gave you 200 euros. It was the smallest banknote I had, I'm afraid." she added silently, smirking and not at all apologetically. 

Maca turned back towards her and her heart skipped a beat. 

"I am certain it was not on purpose, you look like a decent, fair woman..." Zulema blinked at Maca's name card. "...Tracy." she grinned. "Lovely name."

Maca's impatient look turned into surprise, then into anger. She looked at the people waiting in the line hoping that no one heard the remark. _Why the hell would anyone use that banknote in a store?!_ She took the money for the change out of the cash and stuffed it into Zulema's palm, looking into her eyes nervously. The brunette took the money and started slowly counting it.

"Apologies for breaking the no smoking rule. But I got bored waiting in line." she said shrugging her shoulder with her cigarette still burning and apparently with no intention to get rid of it. "And I tend to do stupid stuff when I am bored." she added with an innocent smirk.

The coins fell out of Maca's hands, and landed on the floor near her. She left them where they were and decided to take some others out instead of picking them up. _I can pick them up later. This is embarassing enough already..._

"Could you work a bit faster?! We don't have the whole day!" the old lady snapped from the middle of the row.

Zulema gave her a disdainful look. "You could show some more respect to people who have to work on this day too so that we can enjoy ours. At least I found other ways to cope with my frustration than being hostile." she shook her head as she turned back to Maca, with a restrained smirk, then she just put away the money, being content. "Happy Holidays, blondie! " she smiled. "I like the hat." she added giving Maca a once-over and walked away.

Maca stared after her blankly, being shocked. She hasn't seen Zulema since she left their trailer, more than a year ago. She had the sudden urge to scream after her, to tell her to wait, she almost did, but eventually she didn't say a word. _Why would I do that? What could I tell her?_ She saw Zulema looking back through the window, and their eyes met.

"Hey!" the old lady snapped again, losing her patience. "I'm never coming back here!"

Maca moved her gaze back to the people, then she awkwardly smiled at the man who was the next in line. When she blinked back to the window Zulema was nowhere to be seen.

"Flirting with strangers? I like that!" he grinned. "So refreshing in a place like this!"

"That was not flirting with a stranger! That was just her mocking me..." Maca said angrily. 

"Oh... Ex-girlfriend then?" the guy asked making a grimace." If she puts so much energy into mocking you that proves that she cares."

Maca took a deep breath and swallowed her answer. "It will be 125 euros."

"Call her." the man added casually, as he handed Maca the money. "It's worth a try to get a proper closure if it still unbalances you this much. It took me three years to realize that I never actually wanted to break up with my ex. I just wanted to get out of our shared business. It was hell. We're good now. Don't waste so much time wondering. Nor trying. Give yourselves one more chance, just meet her once, if it ends badly at least you know for sure that you have to close that door. And if it ends well..."

Maca laughed. "Look... we were never a-"

"This is truly unbelievable!" the lady in the back sighed, loudly. "Who is responsible for this place?!"

"Call her!" the guy added quickly. "Especially if it's just pride holding you back. Just my two cents of course. Merry Christmas!" he waved and left.

.

Three hours later Maca finally escaped, with the guy's words still echoing in her mind. She took off her Santa hat, stood down on a bench behind the store, and stared at her phone's dark screen. _What a stupid idea_... _Why would I call her? Why should I not?_ She found a lot more rational reasons which sustained the latter question. _Even if I'd miss her, missing an ex is by far not enough for a reason to want them back in your life! She's not even my ex, damn it! Do I also believe my own lies nowadays?! But calling her at Christmas doesn't mean I miss her, it's just..._

Her fingers automatically opened the contact list and scrolled down to Zulema's name. She was the last one on the list, but Maca still didn't have to scroll much. She didn't keep in touch with many people.

And they haven't talked either since Maca stepped out of their duo. And that was more than a year ago. No calls. No happy birthday messages. _Nothing_.

Zulema kept her promise, which she angrily threw into her face, telling her that she doesn't have to worry, she can go and live her mediocre dream life, she won't bother her, she'll be safe. Of course Maca wasn't nicer either, after all before that remark she told Zulema that she was like a cancer and she couldn't live her own life because of her. She felt bad about saying it since then. Half of the statement was true, though. She only realised it months after she left, just like how it became obvious to her only a bit later that Zulema maybe didn't want her to leave, and being hostile was her way of showing it, because saying it directly was out of question of course. But then she came to the conclusion that she might just repaint the picture to make it less hurtful retrospectively, and it might just be her own mind playing tricks on her and not the truth. She tried to not think about her at all. 

Maca thought that leaving everything behind was the rational decision. And it was. Yet it still left her with a bitter taste, which not even the birth of her daughter, what made her happier than she probably ever was, managed to dissolve.

_She doesn't even know that I have a child..._

The screen of her phone became dark again, and Maca was about to put it back in her pocket, when it started ringing.

It was Roman.

"Hey, where are you? I started making the dinner." 

"I'll be home in five." Maca took a deep breath. "Roman, are you sure you don't want to spend the evening with your daughter? You've got a divorce, but Nina invited you, so-"

"Macarena... I don't want you to spend the Christmas Eve alone. We both know how the last one ended. I'll see her tomorrow. She's big enough, she understands."

 _The last one_... That was three months after she left Zulema, she was 6 months pregnant. And afraid. Afraid of someone recognizing her under the fake identity. Afraid of ending up back in jail. Afraid of losing her baby. Afraid of not being a good enough mother. Afraid of facing all this alone. Afraid of causing too much trouble to her brother. _Afraid of everything._

Maca bit into her lip. She felt like shit once again. "I won't be alone."

"Ok, I rephrase it: I don't want you to spend Christmas alone with a ten months old baby. Oh, and I've bought the chicken too. See you then!" he said and hung up.

Maca exhaled. She won't be able to convince him that she's doing fine. _Not ever. He worries too much about me..._

She looked at the screen of her phone again, which now that the call ended was showing the contact list once again, with Zulema's number being highlighted. She presseed the call button. _If it ends badly at least I can close this door forever, without wondering about what ifs.._.

"Who's that?" she heard Zulema's voice.

Maca felt once again shocked. _She doesn't even have my number anymore?!_

"I'm..." Macarena looked around nervously. Her boss was walking towards his car. He nodded towards her when their eyes met. "...Tracy."

"Oh... Hey."

"Hey..." 

Silence. For a far too long time.

"You're calling for the 17 euros?" Zulema asked after a while.

"What 17 Euros?"

"You know, the change. The first one, I mean. You left that for me too. I thought you were being generous but apparently you were just inattentive. But I didn't want to make a fuss about it, the people started to be hostile with you already. Strange cashier you are... flung out of space." Maca couldn't see it, but she could literally hear the smirk on Zulema's face through the tone of her voice. "Ok, that was a weird thing to quote..." Zulema caughed. "Forget it." 

Maca mumbled something into the phone what could have been a _fuck you,_ but Zulema ignored it.

"I didn't know that you truly ended up as a cashier..." Zulema laughed. "Seriously blondie... I said that as a bad joke."

Maca was at the same time annoyed by her remarks and relieved because Zulema was acting slightly less cold, even if she was her usual annoying self.

"I am doing fine." she said.

"What do you need then?"

"Need? Nothing." Maca said slightly insecurely, suddenly remembering the fact that she was the one who called her, so she must have a viable reason for it.

"Then what do you want?"

"I was just... I was curious what you're up to, I was thinking... don't you want to drink something? For old times' sake, now that we bumped into each other?"

"It's Christmas Eve." Zulema said coldly.

"Yeah... I mean if you don't have other plans..." Maca realized that she sounded more and more awkward with each sentance she uttered. "You could come over. If you have other plans, then maybe on some other day..."

"I bought a single chocolate bar, what plans could I have?" Zulema laughed. "But what the hell could we do on Christmas Eve? Together?" 

"Are you asking that seriously now?" Maca asked sharply, starting to be fed up with her teasing and in the same time feeling a bit awkward about where the conversation was going. _Would I want it to go there? What am I even trying to accomplish with this?_

"No." Zulema said more warmly. "I wasn't asking that seriously. I kow you well enough." she sounded clearly amused.

"Are you celebrating Christmas at all?" Maca asked. "The last time you were just going with the flow..." 

"I like celebrating stuff." Zulema said. "Life should be celebrated. Every day. Not once or twice a year, in the middle of a crazy, stressful shopping-marathon!"

"Are you coming or not then?" Maca asked impatiently. Whatever the answer was, she just wanted this call to end already. 

"Fine... Where is your place?" 

"Let's meeet at the store at 6."

"Ok."

"See you then!"

"See you. Oh, and blondie..." Zulema raised her voice a bit to keep Maca's attention.

"Huh?" 

"No drugs, and no dancing. Bye!"

Maca lowered the phone from her ear and gazed in front of herself.

 _Was this the step I was afraid or too proud to make for more than a year, or was this the stupidity I was wise enough to resist until now?_ She didn't have a faint idea.

.

"You can go, I won't be alone, Roman. A friend will come over." Maca said looking at her brother above the kitchen table.

"A friend?" Roman raised his eyebrows. "Macarena, you didn't make any close friends because you kept saying that it would be dangerous." 

Maca rolled her eyes. "She's not exactly a... close friend. She's an... old friend." 

"An old friend?! And you trust her enough to-?" 

_Do I trust her? Generally, no. But I do trust her about this. She won't cause me trouble now. "_ Yes, she's all right." Maca was surprised herself by the conviction with which she uttered the words.

"And do I know this old friend of yours?" Roman asked patiently, but being visibly not impressed by the idea at all.

"Yeah. You might have crossed paths with her. It might have been short, I don't know, I wasn't there, but I am sure that it must have been a memorable encounter." Maca said angrily chopping an onion. _Why the hell do you have so many questions?!_ Roman didn't know the whole story about her association with Zulema. He only knew bits and pieces, and even those were put in a bad light.

"Macarena..." 

"It's Zulema!" Maca said angrily, hitting the knife into the table. "I met her today at the store. She's in the town. I invited her. You're happy now?"

"Zulema?! I thought you stopped working with her because you were fed up with everything related to her and you never wanted to see her again!"

_Yeah. I thought that too... at the beginning._

"You're making crazier decisions than I thought you would... I'm staying." Roman said firmly and opened the fridge to prepare the rest of the dinner. Then he suddenly turned back and gazed at Maca. "Am I really planning to make dinner for that wench?"

.

The atmosphere by the dinner table was far from relaxed. Maca decided to tell Zulema that Roman will also be there just when they were in the door of her apartment and she literally had to grab her by her jacket to keep her from walking away.

Zulema and Roman were acting lowkey hostile towards each other, their discussions were reduced to short sentences, and no unnecessary questions. So the awkward silences were their constant company too. Maca started to think that maybe this was indeed a bad idea. She felt also slightly insecure about Zulema's reaction to meeting her daughter - or the lack of it, after all saying " _Oh look, another whiny blonde princess!"_ did not reveal much about what she thought about the situation. _But why would this make me feel insecure?_

When the conversation once again started to take the rocky route, Maca changed the subject.

"I got something for you." she turned towards Zulema, smiling cheerfully, trying to shift the mood, and took a gift from under the Christmas tree and walked back to the brunette with it. Roman followed her with his gaze, with a frown on her face.

Zulema hesitantly took it from her. The package felt soft. "Is this one of those ugly, knitten Christmas sweaters?" Zulema asked suspiciously.

"Well... it's not knitten. Open it." Maca smirked.

Zulema tore the wrapping paper apart and pulled a black hoodie out of it, with a rather vicious looking Christmas elf on it, being wrapped into Christmas lights, with an unimpressed expression on its face, and the text _"El elfo del puto infierno_ " under it. 

Zulema blinked at it, then she started laughing. "Did you think this creature resembled me?" 

Maca pouted. "It was the least disturbing elf I found on Google." she shrugged. 

"Wait... Did you put this together?" Zulema pointed at the picture.

"What did you think? It's not like stuff like this can be found in stores... You're a special kind of freak." she added with a hint of warmth in her voice which she herself noticed just after she said it out loud.

Zulema couldn't hide a smile. The thought of Maca editing a printable picture with her on her mind made her lose from her coldness too. "But wait... how did you have the time to get this done in just a couple of hours? It doesn't make sense."

"Actually..." Maca started a bit awkwardly. "I got this last year."

"Last year?" Zulema asked being surprised.

Roman also turned towards her sister, still furrowing his brows. _Last year? Really?!_

"Yeah. But... I was truly conflicted about sending it to you or not, and... in the end I didn't." Maca said under her nose.

There was a hardly decipherable expression on Zulema's face. Relief mixed with sadness. She swallowed, then she looked at the piece of clothing. "It looks warm. Thank you." she said. "Wait.. actually..." with that she got out of the simple hoodie she was wearing and got into the new one. "It's comfortable. And even the size is perfect! Of course... you didn't have to guess it." she added smirking.

Maca chuckled, Roman moved his gaze between Maca and Zulema, being slightly puzzled, his gaze met Maca's, who quickly looked away.

"You didn't tell him, did you?" Zulema asked still smirking, blinking at Roman's puzzled expression then back at Maca, but seeing the awkwards expression on the blonde's face she did not wait for the answer. "I brought something for you too." she said instead and pulled a little box out from the pocket of her jacket. "Uhm..." she turned towards Roman. "I didn't know you were going to be here, so no gifts for you."

"That's fine." Roman was a lot more interested in her sister's niceness towards Zulema, than about Zulema's rudeness towards him. This was not how she pictured the two of them. Not by far.

Maca opened the box. It took her a while until she realized what its content was, but when she did she couldn't stop smiling.

"You knew?" she looked at Zulema, her eyes sparkling with joy. The box contained two necklaces. One with a pendant in the shape of a bird, with its wings open, and a smaller bird being cut out from its middle. And a second, smaller necklace, with a pendant with the exact opposite shape, a little bird, being framed by the conture of a bigger one.

"Of course I knew. Did you think you could leave without me knowing what you're up to?"

"Were you stalking me?!" Maca frowned.

"I was joking! I just saw you on the street with her once. I wasn't sure whether she was yours or not so I kind of used my contacts to-"

"You were stalking me." Maca nodded.

"Hell no! I was just... curious." Zulema rolled her eyes, but then she allowed a smile again. "It might look a bit old... I stole it 25 years ago, when... when things were different. But at least someone can use it now. She might be too small for it, but she'll grow faster than you realize." 

Maca raised her glance on Zulema and noticed a trembling smile on her lips. That most likely didn't say much to Roman, but it said a lot to Maca. This was something Zulema has bought to herself and to her daughter, probably back when she was still pregnant herself. But they never got to wear it.

Maca didn't say anything. She wanted to hug Zulema, but something held her back, so she just looked at her, feeling genuinely moved. "Thank you."

Roman was still following the scenario, trying to understand what was going on, but he had lost track a long time ago. There were obviously things unsaid, and he started to feel that it's his presence what stopped it from coming to the surface.

"Uhm, I have to leave now. I have to go to my ex-wife's place to visit my daughter too. Enjoy the rest of the evening!" He gave Maca a brief hug, and kissed her forehead, grabbed his coat and opened the door.

"Roman!" Maca stepped towards him. 

"See you tomorrow, Maca! You give me a sign in the morning until 10, ok? If not, I'm calling the police."

"I am 35, not 16!" Maca laughed.

"You call me." he repeated, then he gave Zulema a sharp gaze and left.

Maca turned back towards Zulema with a theatrical exhale. "I love him. But he can be a pain in the ass sometimes..."

Zulema blinked at her with her mouth slightly open. "Was that what I think it was?" she asked with disbelief.

"What do you mean?" 

"Did we scare him away or did I just get the approval of the protective big brother?" Zulema asked casually. "Well, at least in the figurative sense..."

Maca shook her head laughing. "Probably both."

They looked at each other without saying a word. _What now?_ Maca walked back to the table, poured two more glasses of wine and handed one to Zulema. 

"What were you up to since I left?" Maca asked as she sat down around the corner of the table, facing the brunette. The smile disappeared from Zulema's face.

"Plenty of stupid shit." 

"I've heard you went through with that Ramala heist without me too. At least I guess it was you who caused all that mess. It was all over the news." 

"Yeah..." Zulema mumbled and took a sip from her drink. She wanted to forget all that.

Maca remembered that during that point she was extremely glad that she said no to that plan and managed to move on from working with Zulema. She was already pregnant. She didn't need a mess like that in her life.

"What went wrong?" she asked.

"Me." Zulema said quietly, playing with her glass.

"You?" Maca looked at her being puzzled.

Zulema shrugged. "I was bored. And angry. And I can get pretty... unpredictable when I am either. I do stupid shit quite often actually. You know." she allowed a bitter smile.

"Why were you that angry?" 

Zulema didn't answer.

 _Oh..._ Maca's expression must have betrayed her, because Zulema continued, shaking her head.

"If you're thinking you are responsible for that in any way, stop thinking that! That was all me. With full batteries..." she rolled her eyes. 

"How did you get out of there?" 

"Badly." 

Maca looked at her questioningly. Zulema apparently wanted to talk, but she wasn't doing it easily.

"I was shot. Three times. I could have died. And you know what's the worst?" she raised her glance on Maca. "That I didn't feel lucky that I didn't."

Maca didn't know what to say. Zulema was talking to her as openly as never before, and she didn't know what to do with it.

"I was one step away from getting back to prison." Zulema continued. "And I was tired of running. Yet I did it anyway. It's instinctive, I guess. But... It was one thing being on the run with someone. I mean I can handle things very well on my own, but..." Zulema visibly struggled to actually say all this out loud, but apparently she wanted to, because she kept talking. "I don't like being alone. I couldn't stop thinking about evereything I did wrong. During that stupid wedding, and in general... continuously.... during my whole life. I felt miserable, I've had nightmares for months, I was torn between my instinct to survive at any price and the conviction that my life isn't worth shit, and that didn't leave me with a single calm second. I was my worst companion."

Zulema became silent, she continued staring at her glass, examining the remaining wine on the bottom of it. _And I missed you._

"But it looks like, you... like you got over that phase, didn't you?" Maca asked cautiously.

"I did. More or less."

"How?" 

Zulema's lips curled into a little smile. _I saw you on the street with your newborn baby. And I thought that maybe there was something good in me ending up alone. Maybe you were right. Maybe I finally was able to let go of someone and not drag them with me down into hell. I allowed you to live. And it made me happy to see you being happy. I guess for once, I was selfless. But not for long though... I am here after all._ she thought, but she didn't say any of it.

She just shrugged. "I have no fucking idea."

"I'm glad you managed to get over it." Maca said. "I was afraid on my own too in the beginning, you know, but that was... different."

They stood in silence for a while, one which as the time passed became less and less uncomfortable. Zulema didn't ask about Maca's life. She already knew what mattered. The happy details would have only made her feel envious, and the worse ones would have made her want to throw into Maca's face that she was the one who chose that road. And in that moment she didn't want to do either. 

"Didn't you try finding someone else to work with?" Maca asked.

Zulema started laughing. "No. It takes ages until I decide to trust them, and even after that, there still lingers the possibility of them stabbing you in the back. And when you get to the point that you believe that they would not do that, they..." - _do it. Or they leave. -_ "Whatever..."

"You described that as if you'd be talking about giving chance to relationships." Maca laughed.

"Well, I was talking about that, weren't I?" Zulema blinked at her seriously. "Choosing a partner in crime requires more trust than choosing a romantic partner or a fuck buddy after all." she shrugged. "Doesn't it?"

Maca was once again unbalanced by her words. She stared Zulema wondering. _What the hell are you trying to say?_

Both of them wanted to say something, yet both of them were reluctant. They kind of said it already anyway, just by being there. Maca thought that she has said enough already with inviting her over, she didn't want to be the one to cross the line again. But some things were screaming to be said. 

"Do you want to talk more about... what happened?" she asked finally. "If it makes you feel better, go on, you can talk to me. But if it makes you feel bad, we can do something else..."

"To be honest this was more than enough." Zulema drank the last sip of wine from her glass. "I'd prefer the something else. Whatever it is..." she smiled.

There was a baby cry coming from the other room. Maca let out a sigh. "Be careful what you sign up for!" she sat up laughing to go and check on the baby. She came back to the room with her in arms. The little girl started pointing above Maca's head as she crossed the treshold, trying to grasp something.

"Wow, is that mistletoe?" Zulema laughed. "Don't tell me you're the cheesy kissing under the mistletoe kind of person!" 

"It was Roman's idea." Maca shrugged blinking at the ornament as she opened the fridge to get some milk. "He's a hopeless romantic." 

"Really?" Zulema raised an eyebrow. "It must run in the family then. Must be some unfortunate genetic mutation." she said mockingly as she stepped near Maca.

"Says the one who buys polaroid cameras and matching jewelries as presents." 

"I was buying the camera for _you_. I was trying to think with _your_ mind then." Zulema rolled her eyes.

"Well try thinking with my mind now.... What should I think? Am I right and is this little creature hungry? Or is she bored and seeking attention or just needing a diaper change? Judging by the lack of smell, the last is not the case." 

Zulema laughed, and watched as Maca poured some milk into a nursing bottle, a moment later her daughter was drinking it happily.

"I got away with this easily this time." Maca said as she leaned against the frame of the door again. The child once again was distracted by the mistletoe.

"You want a kiss?" Zulema smirked.

"What?!" Maca moved her gaze from her daughter on the brunette, being shaken out of her thought by the unexpected question.

"Just trying to still think with your mind..." Zulema shrugged it off and silently pointed at the ornament hanging above Maca's head.

"Oh, damn it!" Maca stepped away from the door. "I wasn't standing there deliberately! We were never much about kissing, anyway." Maca said offhandedly.

"No." Zulema raised an eyebrow. "We weren't. Does this mean that you want me to-"

"Don't you dare saying it out loud!" Maca snapped covering her daughter's ear with her free hand.

"Can I hold her?" Zulema asked when Maca placed the bottle into the sink.

Maca was surprised by the request, but she handed the child over to Zulema and watched as the brunette carried her to the couch and sat down with her, playfully tickling her. When Maca washed away the bottle she found Zulema humming to the child, who was playing with a lock of her hair.

 _"Sabes mi amor, portate bien. No debes llorar, sabes por que,_ _santa claus llegó a la ciudad"_

It made Maca smile. And she started seeing the possibility of something in Zulema, what she never ever imagined that could be possible. It never even crossed her mind before. It made no sense. It was crazy. And dangerous. Ans unlikely.

_Roman is right. I am losing my mind..._

Maca sat down near them and pulled her legs under herself, looking at them, and being entirely lost in the idea she was trying to chase away.

"Your voice is soothing. Apparently she likes it too." Maca said smiling blinking at her daughter who let go of Zulema's hair and occasionally closed her eyes.

"Or finds it extremely boring." the brunette whispered. "She almost fell asleep."

Maca laughed.

"Should I continue singing to mommy? Looks like she likes it too. What do you say?" she asked from the child quietly.

Maca raised an eyebrow. Zulema looked at her and kept singing.

 _"Te observa cuando duermes, te mira al despertar_ _no intentes ocultarlte de él, pues siempre te ver."_

"Well that text coming from you is creepy." Maca laughed. 

"Well it depends on the context." Zulema shrugged. "I did look at you while you were sleeping, because I couldn't sleep thanks to your snoring... I was wondering whether I should throw something at you, or gently wake you up and tell you that you sound like a pig. Oh... Do you ever miss the old days?" Zulema asked with an amused smile.

Maca blinked at her with disbelief.

"That was an awesome example to make me remember what I don't miss. You getting on my nerves!" Maca shook her head smiling, then her expression became more serious. "Zulema... If you are playing nice and trying to make me nostalgic because you want to talk me into going back and help you with a bullshit of a robbery, save your breath. I'm not going back to all that stuff. That chapter of my life is closed." 

Zulema stared at her for a moment, then she continued with no readable expression on her face. "Do you really think that I came to this town to look for you and convince you to come back?" she let out a little laugh. "Blondie... you give too much importance to yourself..." 

Maca swallowed, having a feeling that the conversation has taken a sudden turn and the chances were high that it will lead towards an unfortunate misunderstanding. "No, I..."

"I've really had a flat tire." Zulema laughed. "I am not planning any robbery. I was travelling. With no aim. No plan. No second thoughts. And no budget. Just savouring the taste of a regular everyday life as a tourist who can go anywhere." she smirked. "I am not trying to talk you into anything... I've retired."

Maca's jaw dropped. "What?! Are you serious? What about your reputation?" Maca asked laughing.

"I don't give a shit."

Maca was looking at her, once again pondering. _You're saying you are done with that chapter too. Yet you are here._ And she continued to see her in this new light, even more clearly. And for the first time, for some yet unknown reason, realizing her wishes didn't make her feel afraid. She didn't see the ex-enemy in her. Neither the problematic associate. Nor the chaotic lover. She saw the possibility of family. _The know-it-all guy was right. You were not the cancer who didn't allow me to go on. What we did was._

Zulema straightened up after a couple of silent moments. "But it's late. I should go too. The little monster is asleep already." she looked at the baby sleeping in her arms. "You want to rest too, I guess."

"I'm already used to function with 4 hours of sleep." Maca smiled as she stroke the blanket her daughter was tucked in with.

"You functioning with 4 hours of sleep?" Zulema laughed. "I don't believe that."

Maca laid her head on Zulema's shoulder to get a better look on her child. "Stay and see it for yourself." And for a short moment in which Maca watched her daughter sleeping while feeling Zulema's breathing near her she had the feeling that all the puzzle pieces have found their place. She moved her hand a bit, so that is rested on Zulema's. The brunette instinctively wanted to move her hand, but she decided not to.

"We were not much about hand holding either." Zulema said, being half amused, half alarmed.

"Well..." Maca let go of her and straightened up. _It was a nice short moment... "_ We've both closed that chapter didn't we? Why should we stick to our old habits?" she briefly raised her glance, being curious about Zulema's reaction as she took her daughter from her. "I'll bring her to her bed." she said before Zulema could have said or done anything and walked with the child into the other room.

"You meant staying as a... "sleepover"?" Zulema raised an eyebrow when Maca appeared again. "Or as a... "stay the night"? . _..For old time's sake?_ " she added with a smirk.

Maca was relieved that Zulema did not close off again. "I don't know whether either of those is possible with that little monster in the picture..." she laughed and rested her shoulder against the frame of the door. "Your singing soothed her, but she's not a heavy sleeper. But if she doesn't scare you away, you can just... _stay_. And we'll figure the rest out."

Zulema blinked at her, being silent for a while. She was aware that Maca wasn't just talking about a sleepover or another fling. "Are you sure you don't want me to kiss you?" she tilted her head jokingly. "It's the third time you stand there."

"Oh damn it!" Maca sighed. "I don't like it actually. Stupid tradition. Then people can say they only kissed because of the stupid plant." she rolled her eyes, but did not move.

"It's not a more stupid excuse than blaming it on drugs, or boredom, or loneliness." Zulema said casually as she stood up and walked toward her.

"Zulema... you _are_ trying to talk me into something aren't you?" Maca smirked.

The brunette shook her head smiling. "Nah..." 

"But you are..." Maca moved closer to her smiling.

"No." Zulema insisted.

"Yeah... you are." Maca nodded., almost whispering the words into her ear.

"No." Zulema said firmly. "I don't think I have to talk you into anything."

"So you're staying?" Maca asked, her face being dangerously close to Zulema's.

"Yeah. But just because this is better than a motel room." Zulema said offhandedly.

"Fuck you!" Maca pulled away from her laughing. "Why didn't you book a fancy room with a view then?"

"Easier to be tracked." 

"Uhum..." 

Zulema was silent, just looking at Maca with a searching gaze. "Thanks for inviting me." 

"I'm glad you're here."Maca smiled.

"I'm glad I'm here too." Zulema smiled back at her.

Maca found herself leaning closer to her, and Zulema didn't seem to mind it, their lips almost met when they heard the crying from the other room again. 

"I've told you... She doesn't like being alone either. You two would get along well." Maca said smiling, looking into Zulema's eyes, and went to pick up her daughter again. 

"What's the problem?" Zulema asked from the door of the room. 

"Diaper issues this time." Maca made a grimace. She picked up the child to take her to the bathroom, giving Zulema a tired smile when she passed her by. "Do you still want to stay?"

"Why would I have changed my mind?" Zulema asked. "This is still better than a motel room."

Maca rolled her eyes, and she was taken by surprise when Zulema's fingers traveled into her hair, resting on the back of her head, suddenly drawing her into a kiss. Which didn't last long, because Zulema pulled away, she reached above their head, grabbed the ornament with the mistletoe, took it off and threw it into a corner.

"Hey, what do you think you are doing?" Maca stared at her, almost laughing.

"You said you don't like it." Zulema shrugged. "Merry Christmas, blondie!" she said smiling at Maca, who wrapped her free hand around Zulema and hugged her tightly, her face buried into Zulema's neck who hugged both Maca and her baby back, and soon enough she locked their lips again.

And it was nothing like what Maca expected from the previous, interrupted kiss. Maca suspected how it would have went, it wasn't the first time after all. Lust, impatience, chaos. But it was different this time. Maybe because there was a child between them, maybe for other reasons too. This kiss wasn't just led by lust. This was patient. And gentle. It tasted like a promise.

"Where do you keep the diapers?" Zulema asked with a smile on her face when they pulled away from each other.

.

"I can't believe she falls asleep whenever I start singing to her!" Zulema complained as they looked down on the soundly sleeping baby. "I'll take it as a personal insult."

"Take it as an accomplishment..." Maca laughed. 

"It would be one if I could sing myself to sleep this easily too..." Zulema said with a bitter smile.

"You still have trouble sleeping?" Maca raised her glance on her.

"Yeah, quite often." 

"That sucks... But... Well, you can take it as a different kind of accomplishment now." Maca smiled at her, then she grabbed Zulema's hand and took a step back towards the bed. "The little monster is asleep now." she whispered with a coy smile.

.

Zulema woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. Aggressively. 

"Macarena! Open the door! Are you there?" 

Zulema turned onto her other side what led to her kind of cuddling Maca, but she didn't care, she remained in the same, lazy position she landed in, an arm wrapped around her waist, and her face buried into the back of her neck. "I finally get a good night sleep, and your animal of a brother doesn't let me wake up naturally. Make him go away." she mumbled into Maca's back on a grumpy tone.

Maca wrapped herself out of Zulema's embrace, she got up, got into some clothes and walked towards the door.

"Damn it, Macarena, why didn't you answer your phone? You didn't give any sign! It's half past twelve!"

"Sorry, I overslept..." Maca rubbed her face. "We stood up until late, and the little one woke me up early, three times, you know how-"

Meanwhile Roman stepped into the apartment and froze when he saw Zulema casually making coffee, wearing probably nothing else but one of Maca's longer shirts.

"Why is she still here?!" he looked at Maca, asking the question automatically, not even expecting the answer, since it couldn't have been more obvious. Or maybe he just hoped that there was another explanation for it. 

Zulema raised her eyebrows. "Good morning to you too." she gave him a theatrically warm smile. "Coffee?" 

Roman looked at Maca, being completely puzzled. Maca patted his back.

"I think he needs something stronger." 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, the beginning of this was a blatant Carol reference. 
> 
> This was one of the stuck fics I mentioned and I reaaallly struggled with it, but I also really wanted to finish it.  
> I feel like this still would have needed some polishing, but, well... I've had a strict deadline for this one, haha. And I didn't want to not post it during Christmas, so... to quote Najwa: "It's a gift." 😂
> 
> I hope you are having a great time, filled with joy and surrounded by loved ones! 🎆🤗


	8. Scars of my broken kisses [Vampire AU]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts used:  
> • Halloween / Vampire AU (by @Mandy)  
> • Dominant Maca / Zulema in handcuffs (by @Olivia) - not exactly what you described, but close enough 🙃
> 
> Yes, this has two ideas I said that I probably won't write, here we go again!
> 
>  _Rating:_ Explicit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the (bad?) habit that when I am stuck with my drafts I start into something new, and considering the date, I decided to roll with the Halloween trend, although I said that I probably won't. 
> 
> I've been struggling for weeks with another prompt, and I wrote this in one sitting. I am not even trying to understand how my mind works anymore, lol.
> 
> The title is a verse from Tarja's _Damned and Divine_
> 
> Happy Halloween! 🎃🧛♀️🦇🍬

A dark figure walked down the foggy road leading to the centre of the city.

 _Pumpkins everywhere... Children running around, dressed like monsters, asking for sweets... What a fucked up world..._ she thought. _Children should be taught to beware the beasts, not to want to be like them... Humans deserve their faith._

The dark haired woman stopped in front of a club. Witches laughing with vampires, a skeleton flirting with a ghost. _Halloween themed parties... Ridiculous... But convenient._ She smirked. _What would be a better place for a beast to hunt than one where the prey thinks that it is the hunter?_

"Hey beauty, you want to join the party?" a man from the door stepped to her. "Your costume is pretty simple, but you could pass as a vampire." he said giving her a once-over. 

The woman had long, black hair, she was wearing a black corset with leather pants, some massive boots and a dark red cape on her shoulder. Her eyeliner was spot-on. 

"If my costume is simple, what could I say about yours?" the woman asked mockingly. The man was wearing jeans, a black shirt and an eye-patch. He was handsome, attractive even, but something about the way he spoke made him repulsive. "You're a pretty ordinary pirate." 

"I'm a security guard." the man sighed. "The eye-patch is just to give some feeling to it today. It's a pretty boring job." he sighed. "I'm Antonio, by the way. The entrance ticket is 30 Euros." 

_That's a lot of money for some bullshit like this..._ The woman laughed and stepped closer to the man. "I thought you invited me." she said flirtaciously. She could have killed him on the spot. Quickly, quietly, neatly. She'd get a free pass and also some food. Maybe also some affection. She was tempted. _But I can't start it in the door! I'd be in plain sight... And there are surely much more interesting things inside..._

"Well... My job is to-" 

"To pretend to be a pirate." the woman pouted. "Then act like one! Make your own rules." she whispered into his ear. That's the good deal."

"Will I get something in return?" the man raised his brows. 

"Maybe." the woman shrugged and gave him an innocent smile. 

Antonio led her inside. "Have fun!" he said. "I have to go back, but... I wish I could stay here with you." 

"Thank you." the woman smiled. _It's your lucky night that you are working and not drinking with me, you imbecile..._ With that she turned her back on him and walked into the crowd.

"Wait! You didn't even tell me... your name!" the man shouted after her, but she didn't look back.

.

She threw her cape on the back of a chair and looked around. She didn't know anyone. Her gaze fell on a blonde woman, wearing a short, red dress, some cute horns and a devil's tail. _How immature! Now they're making evil sexy... and attractive. Laughable. Wrong..._ She found her first prey. 

_Monsters are neither likable, nor attractive. Monsters are monsters. And being one is no fun either._

She sat down to the bar near the blonde and ordered some shots. She was wondering about how to approach her when she overheard her discussion with the man sitting by her side, dressed like a ghost buster, and it looked like the poor woman desperately wanted the guy to go away already, but he didn't seem to get the message. 

She placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and smiled at the man. "Hey monster-hunter, I hope you don't mind if I steal this beauty for a moment, I haven't seen her since high school!" she said, and laughed at the other woman. "Hello, blondie! Did you miss me?" she winked at her. 

There was a brief confusion on the blonde's face, but she realized soon enough what the other was doing. "Maria!" she smiled back at her and hugged the stranger. 

"Sorry!" she looked at the man and let herself be led by the dark haired woman towards another corner of the place. 

"Maria? Do I look like a Maria to you?" she made a grimace. 

"Sorry, I had to say something... Oh God... Thank you! I owe you! He was awful... I'm Macarena." the blonde reached out a hand. 

The dark haired woman blinked at the hand reached out to her, then she grabbed it, strongly, pulling the blonde closer to herself. "Zulema."

"Ouch! Hey, that hurts!" the blonde winced.

"You're pretty whiny for a devil, aren't you?" Zulema asked coldly while slowly licking her lip, and caressed the blonde's face with her other hand. "With a face like that one would expect you to be a fairy or an angel."

In other circumstances one would have thought that it was a bad pick-up line, but there was something threatening in her voice. In her actions. In her whole being. Macarena actually started to be alarmed.

"Uh... if you are thinking about... uhm, look, I am not into woman." she said cautiously.

"Nor was I, but now it's a bit more complicated in my case." The brunette said tilting her head, but with her eyes fixed on her. "Tasting woman calms my thirst the same way as tasting men does." she shrugged.

"You're overplaying that mainstream vampire role!" the blonde freed her hand from her grasp, massaging her wrist. _And you're damn rough for a woman who has just saved a girl from some unwanted courtship!_ "Enjoy the party!" she nodded towards the brunette and turned around. 

But then she found herself face to face with her again. She even looked back to make sure that it's really her, what made Zulema laugh. 

"Don't run away from me! You have no chance. I thought you knew that if you owe a monster you better pay your debt." 

"What do you want?" Macarena rolled her eyes. 

Zulema looked at her smirking. "You." 

"Heavens... You're creeping me out! Leave me alone!" she said and pushed the brunette out of her way. 

That made the other woman extremely angry, but she calmed herself. When she was doing this normally, people did actually get scared. And now it occurred to her that she's not just the monster hunting for prey. Now she was the monster dressed like a human too. And sometimes, occasionally, she missed being human. The only contact with humans she had was when she was feeding at them or using them to feed on them later. Living for satisfying her thirst was a vicious cycle. She was powerful, but she was a prisoner of her own nature. She would have given a lot to get rid of the weight of it and just feel the real freedom, even if just for a day.

She sat down on an empty chair and looked at the crowd. Suddenly she felt lonelier than while being in her trailer alone in the woods. She was tempted to change her plan, to stop hunting, and just to pretend to be human for a night. She wouldn't be able to do it much longer anyway. Her gaze met Macarena's in the distance, the blonde looked away. 

Zulema went back to the bar and ordered a whisky. After a while Macarena sat down near her with a cocktail. "You look miserable." she said taking off her horns aand placing the accessory near her glass.

"I thought you found me creepy." Zulema said coldly taking a sip from her drink. "You must be confused." 

"One can be creepy and sad at the same time." the blonde shrugged. "You know, that's the whole base of the sympathy for the devil thing." 

"If that's what you've been aiming at, you failed. You really don't look sad!" Zulema shook her head bitterly.

 _I was referring to you..._ Macarena stared into her glass. "Sometimes the appearances lie. I'm pretty good at pretending that I'm fine, while I'm not. My boss has just double-crossed me. But anyway... I don't want to talk about it, and you probably don't care. I came here to forget about that." she smiled. And in that smile Zulema did see some sadness. "Was that what you were trying to do too? Getting into the vampire role to escape yourself?" 

_You couldn't be more wrong, blondie..._ "Yes." Zulema lied.

"You wanna talk about it?" Macarena raised her glance on her.

"No." 

The blonde nodded. "What are you doing for a living? I'm a secretary... there's not much to say about it..."

"I... uhm..." Zulema swallowed. "I am a hunter. I hunt... bad guys."

"Oh God! Don't tell me you're from the police!" Macarena gasped.

"Why? Do you happen to be on the run?" the brunette raised an eyebrow.

"I... no... of course not." Macarena laughed nervously. 

Zulema straightened up and looked at her seriously. "You are on the run." she said with conviction.

The blonde bit into her lip.

"The angel faced girl dressed like the devil is hiding from the police on a Halloween party!" she laughed. "Oh dear... that's almost as bad as my story..." 

The blonde stared at her. "Should I worry about you betraying me?" 

"What could you do if I tried?" Zulema grinned. 

"Fairly... not much. To run... maybe." the blonde said. 

"That's why you wanted to drink with me when you saw me as miserable." Zulema laughed. 

"What?" Macarena frowned. 

"Misery loves company." the brunette said with a bitter smile and raised her glass. 

In that moment the music stopped and the lights were turned on, and Antonio stepped in with two cops on her side. 

"Everything is all right, no need to panic." one of them said. "We just want everyone to identify themselves." 

"Oh God..." Macarena whispered into her glass. 

Zulema stared at her, sucking her teeth. "What did you do? You killed someone?" 

"What?! No! I've told you... my boss has double-crossed me!" 

"What are you accused of?" Zulema asked impatiently. _Do I really think I am the one to decide, whether you're a bad guy or not?_

"Theft."

Zulema nodded. _Am I really considering helping you?_ "Stay here." she said quietly. "And when the shit hits the fan, run!" Then she looked back at the blonde. "Take care! We probably won't be drinking together again." she added with a sad smile.

"What?! What are you planning to do?" Macarena whispered, but Zulema was already walking towards the cops. She stopped behind the first couple of people waiting in front of them.

"ID, please." one of the cops looked at her when her turn came.

"Sorry, I forgot it at home." Zulema smiled at him. _And even if I wouldn't have, it wasn't renewed since 1969...."_

"Then how did you get inside?" the cop frowned.

"I'm both flattered and insulted that you would not believe that I am over 18 without a piece of paper." Zulema shook her head. "I am almost 40 for heaven's sake!" She saw Antonio grinning under his nose. 

"Go to my colleague there, we'll identify you later." the cop said and he turned to the next person. 

A moment later a loud cry broke the silence and the other cop fell on the floor and Macarena was shocked to see her new friend kneeling near him, biting into his neck and then looking up and meeting her gaze, her lips red from the cop's blood. Then she straightened up, grabbed her cape, and effortlessly pushed everyone out of her way as she disappeared. 

Zulema wasn't planning to kill a cop this night, she was usually going for the bad guys, but sometimes she broke her own rules. _Poor thing, it was just bad luck that you were working tonight and not drinking with friends somewhere...._

The people started screaming and running like crazy, the cop ran to his hurt colleague, the security guard stood there with his mouth open like a statue. Macarena ran towards the door too, no one noticed or cared about her in the chaos. She ran until she reached the forest, then she sat down behind a tree breathing heavily. 

.

Zulema heard some footsteps and she saw a blonde hair not far from her. She didn't want Macarena to see her. It was best if they'll never see each other again. But the blonde noticed her too. She froze for a moment. Then she slowly took a step into her direction. 

"Why do yo keep coming back to me, when I am obviously... a creep?" Zulema looked up at her when she got close enough. There was still some blood in the corner of her mouth. 

"I don't know." Macarena swallowed. "Why do you keep helping me?" 

Zulema shrugged. "It's equal for me whether I feed on a pretty blonde or a serious cop." she laughed bitterly. "Well... almost, there are some nuances but-"

"Are you really a.... vampire?" the blonde looked at her. "Was that why you approached me?" Macarena asked on a weak voice. "Would you do that to me too?"

"Yes. And yes. And... Honestly? Probably yes." 

The blonde nodded. "Are you planning to do it now?" 

"No." Zulema said calmly. 

For her surprise the blonde sat down near her. "I won't thank you for this. I would have never asked you to do it... But I still owe you." she looked at her.

The brunette laughed. "In your place I'd leave the country and I would forget about me for good." 

"And where would I go?" 

"Anywhere." Zulema made a grimace.

"What would be the point of it? Of running? Alone? I only have a brother here, other than that... I have no one. I fucked up my life..." 

Zulema looked at her pondering. "Please don't tell me you are sitting here because you are tempted by my way of life... You can't be that pathetic..."

"I am not tempted by your way of life. But it must be great to feel as free as you are." 

"Sometimes the appearances lie." Zulema said bitterly. 

Macarena hesitantly reached out and held her hand. Zulema wanted to pull away from her, but eventually she didn't.

"Can I help you with something?" Macarena asked. 

Zulema laughed. "Unless you want to be my next meal, you really can't do anything for me." 

The blonde let go of her and shook her head. 

"Why do you care?" Zulema frowned. "You don't owe me a favour, I was just teasing you! Don't worry, I won't go after you if you leave now..." 

"Ok." Macarena smiled. She found herself being sad about the possibility of never seeing her again. She wrapped an arm around the dark haired woman.

"What are you doing?" The vampire tensed. 

"Giving you a goodbye hug. " Macarena smiled at her and wrappped her into a warm hug, something Zulema didn't get for long decades. She loved the feeling of it. But in the same time she also felt the blood pulsing in the blonde's veins. She could feel it, hear it, smell it...

"Go away! Now!" she snapped and pushed the blonde away. Macarena saw some inner conflict on her face. 

"What's the problem?" she frowned.

"You are the damn problem! You can't just just place a bottle of alcohol in front of an addict and then take it away." she said angrily. "Because now I crave you, you know what that means?"

"I..." the blonde muttered.

"Go... away..." Zulema breathed out the words. "Until you can."

Macarena straightened up. "Isn't there any way to calm that craving, other than... killing me?" 

"There are two ways." Zulema laughed bitterly. "The first is that I drink from your blood but leave you enough to survive. But I can't promise you that I can stop in time. Probably I can't. The second is satisfying some other, more powerful craving, what is out of question now. And neither of these has a guarantee that I won't kill you anyway, even if accidentally." 

"What other craving?" the blonde frowned.

"Come on... Why am I even explaining this to you? Go away!" tne other said more angrily. 

But then the blonde stepped back to her and locked her lips with hers.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zulema pushed her away. "You said you are not into woman!"

"I said it because you were truly creeping me out then!"

"And I am not creeping you out now?!" Zulema asked with disbelief. 

"No. Because you don't want to hurt me."

"That doesn't mean that I won't!" Zulema said angrily but she was more in control of herself than a minute before. "Don't be naive... Loving a beast does not always tame them!" 

Maca leaned back closer to her, caressing her face. "But it seems to tame you." she smiled. A big part in Zulema's regained self-control also played the fact that the blonde was not afraid. But Zulema didn't tell this to her. Deep down she longed to be loved. And in the end maybe that made the difference.

"Do you want me? Not as your next meal... in other ways." Maca asked running her lips over Zulema's cheek. 

"Go... away!" Zulema shook her head. "When I won't be saying this, it's over for you."

"I'll keep that in mind." Maca smiled and kissed the vampire's neck.

"You are aware how ironic this is, right?" Zulema asked. 

"Tell me if it's too much." Macarena said as she losened the brunette's corset.

"Are you asking for a safe word?" Zulema laughed raising an eyebrow. "From me, for your own safety?" 

"You seemed to be willing to play it like that." the blonde smiled. "Just don't make the words be 'Go away!' because you keep saying that...." she said placing a kiss on her collarbone. 

"Than let the sign be the lack of it." Zulema ran her fingers over the blonde's hair. Then she reached to her chin and made her look at her. "I can promise that I _will_ _try_ , but I can't promise that I _will_ warn you. You either leave now, or you're at the mercy of your own intuition. Or you're at my mercy. Look at it the way you want." the dark haired woman looked at her seriously.

"My intuition sucks. I trusted a man who lied for me for months." the blonde sighed.

"Then why would you trust me?" Zulema frowned.

"I shouldn't." Macarena shrugged. "But I am not searched by the police because I am afraid of playing with the fire. Maybe I just can't resist the temptation either. We're all prisoners of our own desires." 

Zulema took a deep breath. "Restrain me!" she handed Maca a pair of handcuffs. "I stole this from the cop. Maybe it won't restrain me for good, but it will buy you enough time to get away if necessary."

"What?!" Macarena stared at her. "This is not the way I-"

"I am not the one who is usually tied up either." the brunette rolled her eyes as she kicked off her boots. "Consider it a priviledge." she smirked at the blonde.

Macarena reluctantly took the handcuffs, she placed one on Zulema's wrist, she threw it above a brench and then locked it on her other wrist too. 

"Why do you trust me? Couldn't I be someone who would betray you? Or kill you?" she asked wondering. 

The brunette just smiled at her "I wouldn't lose anything. Maybe I'd thank you for it." 

The blonde shook her head and kissed her again, pushing her back against the tree. A bit more roughly than she wanted to. "Sorry."

"No need to be. I am not fragile." Zulema smirked, it sounded almost as a hint.

Macarena swallowed. "I am not exactly the... dominant type."

"I thought so..." Zulema grinned. "Take off my clothes..." 

"Are you sure? It's not a warm night... Won't you be cold?" 

Zulema laughed. "I don't have problems like that. But I appreciate that you asked." she smiled. "Leave the cape on, I don't like being completely naked." she added.

Macarena nodded. She loosened her corset even more until it fell down, then she kissed her way down on Zulema's chest, pulling down her pants too. She had to run her hand down the length of her legs until the damn thing decided to cooperate, then Zulema stepped out of them and kicked them away. Maca did the same with her panties and in the next moment the other woman was stannding there almost naked in front of her, tied to a tree, in the middle of the night, with only a cape on her shoulders. _What the hell am I doing?_

Macarena knelt down and went back to placing kisses on her thigh, she lifted one and placed her leg on her shoulder, continuing with some breathy kisses up on the inner thigh until she reached her folds. Then Zulema suddenly lifted her other leg too and wrapped both of them around the blonde's neck almost strangling her. 

Macarena managed to shake her off herself. "Damn it! You're a wild thing..." 

"I've told you... Go away!" 

"No." Macarena stepped back to her and just kissed her again, her hands softly roaming her body. Zulema kissed her back, but it was still unusual, the blonde was not used to kissing someone who couldn barely move. But this was abou Zulema.

And in that moment the brunette sneaked her thigh between Maca's. The blonde didn't expect it, she moaned into her mouth moving her hand down her body, settling between the other's legs too, just teasing her gently at first, then she entered her with two fingers. Zulema's lips left hers, they moved to her neck, just gently kissing her at first, but then Maca felt a sharp pain and jumped away from her, bringing her hand to her neck. She was bleeding.

"You're not easy to love..." she shook her head.

Zulema stared back at her with hungry eyes. "Go..." she whispered. "...away!"

Macarena stepped back to her again, but she didn't get to do anything, Zulema wrapped a leg around her waist, pulling her closer. Maca let her. _Until you're saying that I'm safe..._ She ran her hands down the other's back. She didn't even know what made her so drawn to this woman, but she knew that she won't be able to escape her easily.

"Go..." the brunette whispered into her ear. Maca was surprised by the gentleness with which her lips touched her skin while the leg on her hip held her more firrmly. "Go..." Zulema said, while pressing her body against hers, her lips almost touching the blonde's. Macarena once again moved her hand down the other woman's body, her lips following the trail, and she felt as Zulema breathed a kiss on her forehead while her own lips moved back to her neck. Zulema's leg was still holding her firmly and for a moment she had the feeling that she was trapped. And Zulema was far too silent. Macarena opened her eyes and looked up at her.

"What 's the matter?" Zulema asked soothingly. "Go on!" she smiled.

Macarena swallowed. Then she pulled herself together, and gathering all her physical and mental strength, ane pushed the other woman away from herself, taking a couple of steps back too. 

Zulema stared at her angrily, the dark hair framing her face. She took a deep breath. "Go away, blondie... Now!"

A smile ran through Macarena's face, she stepped back to the brunette and caressed her face. 

"Don't be a fool... I'll kill you sooner or later." Zulema shook her head.

"But you don't want to do that." Macarena smiled at her.

"We've had this discussion." 

"I'm stubborn." Macarena said and once again moved her hand between the other's legs. Zulema didn't trap her this time, but her lips once again made their way to the blonde's neck. 

Macarena pulled a bit back and raised her other wrist. "Drink!" 

Zulema stared at her with disbelief. "You can't be serious." she sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to stop."

Maca looked in her eyes. "Do it! I'll make you stop." she smiled at her as she slowly entered her again with her fingers, then she pulled them back resting her cheek on the brunette's chest, and moved her fingers back again, picking up a pace, while locking her lips on one of the brunette's nipples.

She hissed when she felt the sharp teeth digging into the skin on her wrist. But the pain became almost pleasant when Zulema placed her lips on the wound and started sucking on it. It took Macarena some extra energy to focus on pleasing her now, but she did it. When she felt the teeth biting too agressively into her skin again she curved her fingers inside the other making her throw her head back, arching her back, she pulled back her bleesing, numb hand, but kept moving the fingers of the other one ,until Zulema's body relaxed and she leaned back against the tree, slowly opening her eyes. "You don't give up easily, do you?"

"You didn't kill me, did you?" Maca smiled at her. 

"Not yet." Zulema sighed. "Release me!"

Maca hesitated. She wasn't sure whether she could trust her at this point. Zulema shouldn't be craving her now in any way, but who can be sure about anything?

"Come on... I won't hurt you. Not today at least. Nor tomorrow probably." the brunette added smiling. "You let me drink more than necessary to calm my thirst." she smiled. "But you can also leave and leave me hanging here... I'll free myself sooner or later." she shrugged. "But I didn't think you're that kind of a lover." she smirked. 

Macarena stepped to her and removed the handcuffs, following Zulema's every move with her gaze. 

The brunette laughed. "You're more suspicious about me now, than when you should have been!" she said as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. 

Macarena was a bit reluctant to kiss her, she had no idea what tasting her own blood on her lips would be like, but she did it anyway. Zulema pushed her down on her back as they kissed and knelt above her, her dark hair falling down on her shoulders, her cape covering them both. 

She moved her lips to the blonde's neck, and kissed her, gently. At first Macarena was prepared to push her away at the slightest sign of pain, but it didn't get to that. There was no pain, just simple, selfless affection. So she slowly relaxed into her touch and forgot about having to be afraid at all.

And she could only hope that Zulema was truly not planning to drink her dry, because from that point on, she was completely at her mercy.

.


	9. The Thief and the Sorceress [Medieval AU] (Part 1/3)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am starting with a random idea I've had myself, but one which I have not written until now because it felt far too random for a one-shot, and I really didn't want it to take over me and turn into a continous AU fic. But here it is now! 🐎🏰🏹
> 
> I kind of mixed up Zulema's backstory here. She is younger, and already messed up and broken, but not yet _that_ closed off and bitter as the version of her which we know. We could say she's her self before the time she ended up locked up in Season 1.
> 
> Maca is Maca from Season 1, with the difference that Zulema can't throw her out of her cell on her first night. 🤭
> 
>  _Rating:_ General/Mature

"Move!" the guard dragged the scared blonde into the dark and cold corridor.

A row of dubious looking, dirty men stared at her making obscene comments as she passed in front of them. She was relieved when the guard stopped in front of an empty looking cell.

"You'll have to share the place with this one tonight." he said as he opened the lock.

The young woman looked more attentively into the cell. There was a hooded figure silently sitting in a dark corner of it.

"Not even if hell freezes out..." a malicious voice said from under the hood.

The guard gave a disdainful look to the prisoner. "Why? You're leaving soon anyway. Don't worry, sweetheart..." he turned towards the newcomer while he opened the door. "She won't disturb you from tomorrow afternoon on. Right?" she grinned at the hooded figure. "You damned sorceress from the pits of hell! Get inside!" he grabbed the girl's arm and pushed her behind the bars, then he put the lock back on the door and closed it. "Try not to - ... Actually... if you kill each other until the morning you'll spare us from some work." he shrugged then he disappeared.

The girl stopped in the very spot he left her, that was the farthest she was able to stand from the bizarre looking stranger. She was too scared to move. 

"Are you planning to spend the rest of the night standing there?" the voice asked from under the hood. It still sounded malicious, but in the same time also calming. It was making fun of her not threatening her. _For now at least._

"I'm... No. I'm just..." the girl stuttered wiping her tears away.

"Oh poor thing..." the figure now stood up and stepped closer to her. The hood fell back onto her shoulder, and the blonde was relieved to not find herself face to face with an evil witch. Well, at least the stranger looked like an ordinary woman, more or less. There was something familiar about her, she must have resembled someone she distantly knew, the blonde didn't think they've ever met before. The woman was a bit older than her, maybe in her late-thirties, long, dark hair messily framing her slightly dirty face, but her green eyes were clear, present and her gaze piercing. Evil witch or ordinary woman, there _was_ something intimidating about her. "This is your first time in jail, isn't it?"

The girl nodded.

"The first night's the worst. You're lucky that you don't have to spend it alone. Not like I'm going to console you or anything." the woman said coldly. "But if you're alone, the sounds you hear at night are creepier." she sighed. "And I am keeping the bed." she added firmly.

The younger woman looked around. Bed was an overstatement, there was only a rough sack filled with probably feathers and a dirty blanket in the other corner. 

"What did you do?" the dark haired woman asked giving the newcomer a lazy once-over. "What were your pretty hands been able to do what was bad enough that they brought you here, disturbing my beauty sleep?" she asked on a resigning tone and sat down near the other wall, where a bit of light was coming into the cell. She had a long cut scar under her left eye, it looked like something the blade of a sword would leave, and that just added to her intimidating aura. 

"Nothing."

"Right." the other laughed bitterly. "Obviously..." 

"I just... I was lied to. There's this family I am washing to... The head of the family is a squire. He was always very kind to me. And not long ago he told me that I can take some of his chickens so that my family can have plenty of eggs too. He also sold around fifteen of them for some good money. And now for some reason the men of the king became curious why he is selling less eggs than he used to. He could have said that the chicken got sick and died. But no... he told them that I stole them. _All_ the twenty of them. He also said that they should look at my place, because I probably didn't have the time to sell all of them yet. Of course they believed him and not me. His chicken were marked!" 

The other woman stared at her with wide open eyes. Then she started laughing. Loudly. "Seriously? Chicken? You're here because of... some stinky chicken? Oh dear... this can't be worse... Or wait... It could. Did he want to sleep with you and you rejected him?" she frowned.

"What?" the girl looked at her uncomfortably. "No... I did not... reject him." she added hesitantly. She didn't even know why she was admitting this to this woman. "He said he would marry me. His wife died a couple of years ago."

"Oh sweet lord..." the older woman made a grimace. "How naive can you be? Did you at least like him?"

The blonde didn't want to talk about this. She started to be angry by the other's mocking attitude, and that anger gave her a bit of courage, so she took a step closer to her cellmate and stood down near her. "You're calling me naive. Why? Are you here because you are so clever? What did you do?" 

The dark haired's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "Yeah, actually we could say that I am here because I was clever." she nodded.

"You were not clever enough then." the blonde said coldly.

The other woman gave her a piercing gaze. "I was aware that what I did was leading me here. But I assumed it." 

The younger woman frowned. "Revenge?"

"You're not as dumb as you look, blondie." 

"Stop insulting me! You don't even know my name! I'm Macarena. And I am not dumb." 

The other just laughed. "Well, don't get insulted so easily, _Macarena, the not dumb_. I don't care about your name. We are not going to spend much time together. Blondie will do for me. It's shorter." 

Macarena swallowed her remark. She thought it's safer if she doesn't provoke this woman. "Since when are you here?" she asked instead.

The brunette was calmly sitting with her eyes closed. Now she blinked towards the window. "Ten hours, give or take."

"How can you be so calm?" the blonde asked being puzzled.

"It's not my first time behind the bars."

"What did you do? And how come they're letting you go tomorrow?" 

"I don't think I have to answer all your questions." the other woman turned away from her angrily and stood up walking aimlessly towards the opposite wall.

"I answered yours." the girl blinked at her.

The woman turned back towards Macarena and stepped back to her placing her index finger under her chin. "Yes, you did. Because you're naive. But you'll learn. Better said... you could have learned. But it's a bit late for you now. Pity..." she pouted. "Your first lesson was that you should not trust the kind words of manipulative men. And your second will be..." she suddenly pulled a dagger out from under her cape and in the next moment it was pressed against the younger woman's throat. "That you shouldn't trust anyone." she whispered into her face.

"How do you even have a dagger in here?!" Macarena asked being startled.

"Is that your biggest concern right now?" the older woman laughed.

Macarena wanted to push her away from herself, but she had to realize that she was being serious. _She's going to kill me!_

"You've killed someone, didn't you?" she asked, her heart pounding her chest. "That's why you're here!"

"I've killed many people." the cold answer came. _And none of them were young, innocent looking, naive girls who were double crossed by selfish men. I'm not enjoying this. But I can't spare you..._

 _"_ You're here because you've killed someone. And they are not letting you go tomorrow. Tomorrow is your execution day!" There was a flicker in the green eyes, and it made Macarena more confident. "But you don't look like someone who's on the line. You were trying to give the impression of someone who is, but under that hood you look vivid, almost excited! You are angry with me just because, they threw me into your cell and you were not taking a cellmate into consideration when you planned your... I have no idea how, but you are planning to-"

The dark haired woman placed her other hand on Macarena's mouth. "Do you actually _want_ me to cut your throat?" she whispered angrily.

Macarena stared into her eyes, her heart still pounding. _You won't kill me._ She lifted her hands and made an attempt to remove the hand from her mouth. "Let me escape with you!" she whispered under the fingers.

"Why would I?" the other laughed. "What would I get out of it?" 

"Maybe not much... But neither more weight on your conscience. And maybe some chicken or some eggs." the girl smiled weakly. "You'll have to eat something while on the run."

"Even if I'd want them, you've never actually stolen a chicken in your life!" the other snorted. "And even if I'd let you escape with me, why on earth do you think our roads would still cross outside these damned walls?"

"It would be a pleasure to know that they won't. I just told you what you could get out of it." she slowly grabbed the hand holding the dagger. "Just let me escape with you. Please. They've condemned me for three years for nothing!" Macarena said fighting her tears.

"The world is not fair." the older woman shrugged and pressed the dagger harder against her skin.

"I am pregnant!" the blonde said desperately. "Please... help me!"

The other woman stared at her hesitantly. "Well that's unfortunate... At least I know that I am also getting you out of your misery if I kill you. Being on the run with a child... That's hell. And having it taken away from you..." she shook her head "...that's worse."

"Please..." Macarena was already crying at this point. "I don't want to die. And I want this child!"

The dagger slowly left her skin, and the woman angily shook her head then she leaned closer to her to whisper into her ear. "All right... I won't kill you. For now. But if you mess up my escape plan, I swear that I will." she said, then she let go of her.

"You can trust me. I won't betray you." the girl said.

The brunette rubbed her face rolling her eyes. "Sweet heavens, I should have cut your throat... You're an awful learner!" She stepped back closer to the newcomer and grabbed her throat. "I don't trust anyone. And you shouldn't trust anyone either. _Especially_ not _me_." she said quietly, then she roughly let go of her again and went back to her sack. "I'm Zulema by the way. You want to run away with me, but you didn't even care to ask my name, you were probably offended that I didn't care about yours." she said as she leaned down and pulled the blanket over herself.

Macarena raised her glance on her _._ " _That_ Zulema?" she asked with wide open eyes. "The Zulema Zahir?" _Of course you looked familiar! The city was full with drawings about your face four or five years ago! You just had shorter hair back then. You were the most wanted person in the country, and anyone associated with you was also considered an enemy, because..._ she swallowed. _Because you killed the previous king._

" _The_ Zulema Zahir." the other laughed. "Oh dear... Saray was right, I _am_ a legend!" she shook her head bitterly. "Yes, _that_ Zulema." she turned towards Macarena. "Do you know another one in this realm?"

The blonde didn't say anything.

"Do you still want to run away with me?" the older woman asked.

Macarena was still silent. She was once again fighting her tears.

"You can think until the morning." Zulema said coldly and laid down. "If you change your mind I can still get you out of your misery."

She tried to fall asleep, but she couldn't. Half an hour must have passed and she was still distracted by the blonde's sobbing. She sat up. The cell was even colder than an hour ago.

"Come here." she said rolling her eyes. "The sack is not wide enough but we can share the blanket."

"I'm good." the blonde said.

"Your problem." Zulema shrugged and laid back down. "I thought you wanted that child."

Macarena blinked at her. Then she stood up and reluctantly stepped to her. "Thank you." 

"Don't thank me." Zulema said moving a bit to make place for the blonde to lean down on the other half of the blanket. "You'll repay me the favour somehow if the time comes." she said and turned to her other side.

They laid in silence for a while, but Zulema still didn't manage to fall asleep. The girl was still sobbing. She tried to stay silent but Zulema could feel her body shaking near her. Or the poor thing was still just cold.

She threw the blanket off herself, on her, then she turned towards the girl, held her arm tightly and placed her chin on her shoulder.

"Listen to me. Your tears will not help you to get you out of here. I'm not telling you to stop crying. Cry if that's what you want, you'll eventually be fed up doing it. But don't waste your energy on prolonging your suffering with self-pity. Save that for something more useful!" she whispered into her neck then she laid back on her back taking a deep breath. 

Macarena turned towards the other woman. "What is your plan?" she asked quietly.

 _See? That is more useful._ "You'll find it out when the time comes." Zulema said coldly.

They stood in silence for another while.

"Why did you kill the king?" Macarena asked.

Zulema's lips curled into a bitter smile. "You're like an annoying child with all your questions." she sighed. "I killed him because he deserved it."

"He wasn't exactly beloved, but... What did he do to you?"

Zulema was silent. "To me? He bought me fancy dresses and jewelry. He wanted to marry me. He had seven wives and none of them were good enough for him. Didn't you hear the story?"

"Some of it. Did you really sneak a scorpion with a deadly stink into his bed?"

Zulema laughed. "No. I sneaked there three of them."

"What was the problem? You didn't like the dresses?"

Zulema's expression became more serious. "I hated them. Everything he gave me felt like a shackle. And the more he gave, the shorter the chain became. It was suffocating. But this was not the main problem. I would have gotten away from him anyway sooner or later. I'm a free woman."

"What was it then?"

Zulema swallowed. "He took my daughter." she said looking at the dark ceiling.

Macarena stared at her being puzzled.

"No one knows that side of the story of course. As I said, the world is not fair." the brunette continued bitterly.

"Where is your daughter now?" 

"With my mother. But she doesn't let me see her. She wanted me to marry the king. So she has a grandchild now. But no daughter." the brunette swallowed uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry." Macarena reached out a hand to hold hers, but Zulema pulled her hand away.

"Don't pity me. It was also my fault that it got to this. I am not an innocent victim here. I might have been at one point, but that's been a long time ago... I barely even remember it." Zulema said bitterly. "But I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"All right." Macarena nodded.

None of them said anything after that. And Macarena made an attempt to sleep again. Maybe it was her weariness taking over her fear, maybe it was just the fact that she realized that she was not the most wretched soul on the earth, and some awful side of hers was relieved knowing that, but eventually, she managed to fall asleep.

Zulema didn't. She looked strong, but deep down she was dreading the next day. 

»»» • «««

Macarena woke up to a tingling sensation on her arm. She opened her eyes, then she jumped up and started screaming.

"Keep quiet!" Zulema stepped to her. "Oh, sorry!" she added when she noticed the scorpion which fell down from the blonde's arm. She gently picked it up. "This little fellow wandered off."

"What the actual heck are you doing?!" the blonde stared at Zulema with disbelief when she noticed at least five more ugly creatures walking around in the other corner.

"Gathering allies." the brunette said as if it would have been the most natural thing, as she placed the reckless insect back among the others.

"Are you crazy?!" the blonde snapped. "Throw them out through the window!"

"No way! It was a real challenge to get them inside." Zulema said calmly. "Don't worry, they are not deadly. But if one doesn't know that, they can mess with ones head for enough time to distract their attention. They are harmless. Well... As long as they feel free and not threatened." she added as she let a scorpion climb up to her hand. "Wonderful creatures!"

Macarena shivered. "Is this your big plan?"

"A part of it. They'll help me get rid of the guards when they get me out of here."

"When they...? What about me then?!" the blonde frowned.

Zulema looked at her making a grimace.

"I thought if you find out who I am you will stop wanting to escape with me. You know... They better don't associate your name with mine."

Macarena stared at her feeling played. "That's why you told me to not trust you! You were not even considering helping me for a moment, were you?"

"Yeah... I was in no mood spending the night listening to your whining. At least you calmed down." Zulema shrugged. 

Macarena shook her head bitterly and jumped to the other woman grabbing her throat. The brunette just stared at her smirking. _You're full of surprises_ _blondie!_ Macarena had a feeling that she managed to do this solely because Zulema allowed her to, and this could change in any moment.

"I should kill you right here." she whispered.

"You wouldn't." Zulema laughed.

"Why are you so sure?"

"You don't have it in you. And be glad that you don't." Zulema said grabbing her hands and lowering them. "I don't think you could kill a chicken."

The blonde angrily pulled her hands away from her grasp and walked away. After a couple of steps she turned back. "Actually... I've killed quite some chicken already." she said with determination. 

»»» • «««

Macarena was holding on to the bars as she looked at how at the end of the corridor two of the three guards leading Zulema to the main square were trying to get rid of the scorpions which somehow ended up under their their clothes. Zulema knocked out the third one, then the other two as well. She was about to run away, but then suddenly she stopped, stepped back towards one of them, got hold of his keys and threw them back into her cell. 

"This is your lucky day. Had I non managed to knock them out inside I wouldn't have come back for you. Enjoy your offspring out in the wilderness while a dozen of men are after you! I wasn't exaggerating when I said that it's hell.... You can trust me about this one. I know." she said bittely. "Take care, blondie." she added with a brief smile, then she disappeared.

Five minutes later there was chaos in the main square.

Zulema jumped up on the back of a horse which was waiting for her in a narrow street a couple of corners away. And headed towards the woods. She was only three corners away when she noticed a blonde haired girl desperately running into a nearby alley. _She'll be fine._ Then she noticed two guards running into the same direcrion. _Damn it! If they catch her they are capable or killing her instead of me. Because of some stupid birds..._

She sighed, turned the horse around, and entered a parallel alley. She found Macarena panting in the middle of the other one. A guard was facing her on the other side, she hasn't noticed him yet.

"Blondie!" 

When Macarena turned around she saw Zulema sitting on a horse, reaching out a hand to her. _Was this worth wanting to escape? Now there's either a lifetime of running or a lifetime of jail - or even death - waiting for me..._

But she didn't have time to contemplate her dead ends, fortunately, the choice was much easier this time

She grabbed the hand which was reached towards her and jumped up on the horse behind the brunette.

»»» • «««

"Who helped you with all this? Someone must have helped you from outside." Macarena wondered.

They were in a small cottage in the middle of the forest. 

"The less you know the better." Zulema said firmly as she cleaned a wound on her leg. "You can stay here for a week. Until things calm down a bit. But not a day longer!"

"I did not ask for your hospitality." the blonde blinked at her being puzzled. 

"What were you planning to do?" the other asked offhandedly without even looking at her.

"I... I was about to..."

Silence.

"One week." Zulema repeated firmly as she raised her glance on the blonde. "Then I don't want to see you ever again." 

»»» • »»»


	10. The Thief and the Sorceress [Medieval AU] (Part 2/3)

Macarena felt a bit unsure about spending the upcoming days with this woman. 

But she had nowhere to go. Going home, would have been a suicidal plan. And she did not have many trusted friends which would have agreed to help her in hiding. Not as if Zulema would have been a trusted friend... She barely knew her. She was not a friend, nor trusted. But she was... _there_. 

Macarena had to pull herself together though, from next week on she was going to have to face all this on her own. 

There was something on her mind what she wanted to ask, but she didn't dare. On the second afternoon she did it anyway.

"Are the rumours true?" she asked as she sliced some vegetables for soup.

She was not a great cook, she didn't even like doing it, but apparently Zulema preferred to sharpen the knives rather than use them for cooking. Even if an - affirmatively - _friend_ of hers was about to pass by. And Macarena was hungry.

"Do you sometimes use... magic? Black magic?" she blinked at the brunette.

Zulema started laughing. "If you call the things you don't understand magic, then yeah, I am using magic. I don't know where the black part comes from though." she said offhandedly, checking out her reflection in the iron. "I am just reading a lot of random stuff you villagers would never even touch." she shrugged.

"I see... And why the one week limit?" Macarena threw the vegetables into a bowl. _And now what do I do with these?_

"Do you already think that you'll miss me?" the brunette smiled at her ironically. "I'm flattered!"

"No... I am just curious why one week. Why not five days? Why not ten?" 

"Becauese I am leaving after that." Zulema said calmly.

"Where?" the blonde frowned.

"Far away. Overseas. There's a ship leaving, only once in two months." 

Macarena looked at her suspiciously. "You didn't want me to stay because you were being kind. You need me for something." 

Zulema turned towards her. "Well, yeah, I have someone who is cooking now."

Maca slammed the knife to the kitchen table and stepped to the brunette. "Stop with your nonsense answers!" 

Zulema raised her glance on her. "I don't need you. I need someone who will soon do a little favour for me. You were at arm's length. And you owe me." she shrugged. "Why would I have bothered looking for someone else?"

Maca kicked into a nearby chair. "You could have said that from the start!" 

"I am saying it now. Does it change anything?" Zulema gave her a cold look. 

"Yeah! I see you now as an even bigger selfish whore!"

Zulema laughed. "What is your problem? You needed a hiding place. And I offered you one. The fact that I had ultrior motives does not change the fact that I did help you." 

Maca angrily bit into her lip. "What favour?"

Zulema straightened up in the chair. In that moment the door was slammed open and a thin gypsy girl stepped into the cottage.

"Zule!" she greeted her loudly wirh a big smile as she hurried towards Zulema then she wrapped her in a hug.

Macarena blinked at them being puzzled. _You trust no one, eh?_

"I knew that you'll get away!" she said as she pulled away from her. She noticed Macarena only now. "What the hell is the blonde doing here?" 

"Saray?" Maca frowned.

"You two know each other?" Zulema looked at them being surprised.

"Yeah." Saray nodded. "This is the bitch who stole Estefania from me." 

"I didn't..." Macarena started. 

"Shut up. Don't you dare saying a word!" the other snapped.

"That was years ago..." the blonde said desperately. 

"And you don't even care anymore, right? You just left her. Because you were bored, or you didn't need her anymore." she shook her head bitterly. "I don't know what you're up with her, Zule, but I warn you, this bitch uses people until they are useful for her and then she just leaves them behind." 

"Don't worry, I was not planning to marry her." Zulema said indifferently. 

The rest of the afternoon went by with them slowly becoming somewhat less hostile with each other, but it was pretty clear that Saray could not stand the blonde. Macarena eventually decided to go out and feed the horses. 

After Saray left, Zulema stepped into the stable with her arms crossed, smirking at Macarena

"Damn it blondie, did you really sleep with my best friend's girlfriend? I thought you're into old, rich men." 

Maca stared back at her angrily. 

"Yeah. I slept with her. But I did not steal-" 

"Relax... I know the girl." Zulema rolled her eyes. "She falls in love with every new face which appears in the village. I never understood what Saray sees in her."

"She was kind and caring. A bit annoyingly clingy but... Well yeah, actually she was not my type either."

"What is your type then?" Zulema asked laughing. "Someone arrogant, selfish and who doesn't like attachment?" _Damn it!_ She stopped grinning when she finished the question and turned away from the blonde, coughing and arranging something on a shelf.

"One must be out of their minds if that is their type." Macarena said being unimpressed.

"Indeed." Zulema said under her nose. 

Macarena hesitated for a moment. "Did you two ever...? You know?"

"What? Me and Saray?" Zulema laughed and turned back towars the blonde. "Hell no! She's a friend. And I am not into women." 

"I am wondering if you're into anyone. You're cold as ice." Macarena sighed.

There was an angry flicker in Zulema's eyes.

Macarena shook her head. "Anyway... what favour do you need from me?" 

Zulema turned her back on the shelf, being glad that they are finally talking about something relevant. "I need a partner in crime." 

"A what?!" Macarena looked at her being shocked.

"Do you have hearing problems? A partner. In crime. I want to... steal something. And I will need some help." 

"Why aren't you doing it with your friend?" 

"I need someone who is not known to be close to me."

"I see... But as you said, I've never stolen a chicken in my life, why do you think I could be useful for you?" 

"You won't have to steal." Zulema said firmly.

"Then what will I have to do?" the blonde spread her arms questioningly.

"I don't know. Anything. Beg maybe. It doesn't matter. A pretty face always works as a bait." Zulema shrugged. 

"No way!" Macarena shook her head.

"You didn't even listen to me..." 

"And I won't. I am done with you!" Macarena turned her back on her and walked towards the gate.

"Blondie..." Zulema sighed, but she didn't stop. "Macarena, don't you dare turning your back on me!" 

Macarena stepped back to her and grabbed her throat. "You're not telling me what to do!"

This time Zulema did not let her, she got herself out of her grasp and grabbed Macarena's throat herself pushing her against the side of the stable. "And where are you going? Huh?" she asked grinning.

"Anywhere. But away from you!" Macarena panted.

"You won't survive for three days. Do you even know how to hunt?"

"I'll figure it out. Every word you utter is a manipulation! If this goes wrong would you even care about what happens with me? I am not even feeling like a bait, I am feeling like a prey with you!"

Zulema laughed. "Nice." she nodded and let go of her. "The first step to becoming a good hunter is at least having the will to not be the prey. You're not a lost case..."

Maca stepped away from her angrily. "I hate you."

"Well then... Seven days became two..." Zulema sighed. "I wish all the best for you." she gave her an ironic smirk, drawing circles with her foot into the dirt.

Macarena swallowed. 

"You can change your mind and stay." the brunette tilted her head. "I promise that I won't throw it into your face that I've told you that you need me." she said with an annoyingly innocent face.

Maca took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I swear that I will erase that annoying smirk of your face one day!" 

"You set your aims high. I like it." Zulema nodded.

"Are you sure you're not into women? You said that you like me and that I am pretty in the course of five minutes." the blonde frowned.

"I didn't say that I like you. And either way... isn't every word I utter a manipulation?" she caressed Maca's chin, then she turned her back on her. "And don't set your aim _that_ high. I'm engaged." 

"You're what?!" Maca stared at her being perplexed. "Didn't you say you're a free woman?"

"And why would this make me less free?" Zulema laughed.

"Well... I don't know, maybe because... you're telling me to not set my aim _that_ high." Macarena said insolently. She didn't even know why she was saying this. Probably because having a fiance somewhere out there did not suit the picture she painted about her.

Zulema blinked at her, being almost confused. 

"Me saying that to you doesn't mean that I am not free. I do make choices. But I do not conform to traditions." she said seriously. "And it doesn't make a difference anyway... It seems that you like going for the people who are already taken." she shrugged.

"Stop judging me!" Maca grabbed her and was about to push her against the wall again, but Zulema stopped her.

"Don't piss me off, blondie. You know that you're better off by my side than against me. I was joking, for heaven's sake! But it's funny how you get most angry because of the.... truth." 

Macarena didn't say anything. 

"Are you sure that you were not actually glad to get those damned chicken? Not because of your family, but because you thought the king and the squires had no right to call theirs all of that. Are you sure you didn't feel like you made some justice? Are you sure you didn't in fact enjoy breaking the law?" 

Macarena swallowed. "Don't tell me you are planning to steal from the rich and give to the poor, I'll never buy it!" 

"No, I usually steal from the rich and keep it to myself." Zulema said coldly. "But that's beside the point now. Now I am planning to steal back something what is mine."

"And what is that?" Macarena sighed.

"My daughter." Zulema said quietly. 

»»» _to be continued »»»_


	11. The Thief and the Sorceress [Medieval AU] (Part 3/3)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took me two months to come back to this, but better late than never. 🎅
> 
> It has been more often Maca making the first actual step in my fics, so here is one where Zulema makes it. 😋

"There is no way that I am going to eat that!" Macarena didn't even look at the rabbit which was being fried on a skewer. She just raised her glance on the other woman who was being busy near the campfire, the flames giving her figure a witchy aura, then the blonde went back to nervously tearing a leaf into small pieces. _What am I even doing here?_

Her companion was basically a wanted murderer, an almost folklorish figure people mentioned with kind of a dismay, someone who Macarena never would have imagined herself teaming up with. Yet there she was, being worried that their roads will soon part.

 _No, I did not grow fond of you..._ _You are just using me..._

"Then you'll starve." she heard Zulema's indifferent voice. "It's not only that you're incapable of not just hunting, but of preparing any kind of edible meal, and on top of that you are also picky about the ones others offer you..." she said as she stood down near Macarena with a piece of meat on a stick in her hand and took a bite from it.

Macarena didn't say anything. As long as the older woman did not utter a word she almost felt some kind of respect, maybe even admiration towards her. But she couldn't stop mocking her, what annoyed the blonde and successfully tipped the scale of her mixed feelings about her towards the negative side.

The closer they got to the day of Zulema seeing her daughter again, the more cheerful and talkative she was, but it was the other way around in Macarena's case. She still didn't think that going home would be a good idea, and she wasn't prepared to be hiding and on the road on her own. In a strange way she felt safer being with Zulema.

_Yeah, you are just using me. And I am using you too._

When they bumped into a drawing about the woman's face this morning, it made it occur to Macarena that maybe betraying her and bargaining for her own freedom in exchange would be a promising way out for her. _But they would kill her!_ She chased away the thought, but it made a nest in the dark corners of her mind nevertheless. _Could_ _I really be such a double faced whore?_

"You're like a whiny, spoiled princess..." Zulema added while chewing on the food. "Whoever decided to build that bridge to the village spared us from two more days of having to suffer each other's company. When I come back with my daughter and get on that ship tomorrow, you are free to do whatever you want." 

Macarena blinked at her. "I'm not a princess. Neither spoiled. Nor whiny. Stop insulting me, you are getting on my nerves!"

Zulema laughed and pointed at the blonde with the stick she used as a fork. "Whiny."

The blonde stood up angrily and headed towards their tent. "I swear... even my annoying cousine who always ate the last piece of the cookies and enjoyed torturing our cat was a better company than you!" _But being annoyed by you is not a good enough reason to betray you, or is it?_

"Spoiled." Zulema said offhandedly as she took another bite from her dinner.

Macarena decided to ignore her remark, she disappeared in the tent, but almost immediately ran out of it screaming. 

Zulema raised her glance on her. "What now?" 

"There is a rat in there!" the blonde panted.

Zulema let out a sigh, she put down her food, stood up, walked to the tent, and a moment later stepped out of it holding a little mouse from its tail and lifted it up in front of the blonde who seeing the rodent took a step back from her.

"It's just a harmless field mouse. You want me to kill it for you?" she asked pouting, with a bored expression, watching as the poor thing was writhing in her grasp.

"No! Damn it... Just... let it go!" the blonde snapped.

Zulema put the animal down on the ground, watched it run for its life, then she looked back at the younger woman smirking. "Princess." she tilted her head.

"Ugh..." Macarena pushed her out of her way and once again disappeared in the tent. She wasn't sure whether she was more irritated by the other woman or by her own thoughts.

"You're welcome." Zulema said looking after her, but the blonde apparently decided to ignore her for the rest of the evening.

.

Not much later she heard Zulema talking to someone. Macarena peeked out of the tent but the stranger was already walking away. Zulema angrily threw the stick she was still holding in her hand away and kicked into a stone. 

"What's wrong, did he recognize you?" Macarena asked being worried as she stepped beside her.

"No." Zulema was staring blankly into the darkness. 

"Then what's the matter?" the blonde frowned. 

"The bridge is broken. This wayfarer just told me that he had to come back and has to take the long road."

"Then we'll take the long road too." Macarena said. 

Zulema bit into her lip. "Taking the long road means that I won't be back in time to the port to catch the damned ship! It's either the village or the port." she said angrily, with her voice breaking and picked up a stone and threw it away too, scaring away some birds from a nearby tree. "It's either my daughter or Hanbal." she added quietly.

"Hanbal?" Macarena looked at her questioningly.

"My fiancé. Well... my ex-fiancé..." Zulema sat down on the ground and buried her face into her palms.

Maca approached her cautiously, trying to understand why Zulema arrived this quickly to this conclusion. "Why are you giving up this easily? You can write him that you couldn't make it in time, and you'll go after him with the next ship, can't you? Or you can go and meet him now, and ask him to wait..." 

Zulema shook her head and her lips curled into a bitter smile. "No. I mean yeah. I could do almost all of that..." she said pondering. "But I won't." she added firmly.

"Why?" Macarena asked being puzzled. She couldn't understand the way this woman was thinking. 

"Because he has waited long enough for me already." Zulema said closing her eyes. "He waited for me while I was reckless, waited for me while I was in prison, waited for me to continuosly try getting my daughter back... Who has been waiting long enough for me too. She grew up barely knowing me... It's been almost five years of waiting for both of them. I've told him myself not to wait anymore if I don't show up this time." she said decidedly.

Macarena looked at her being surprised. "You didn't even love him, did you? You were just using him too!" 

Zulema opened her eyes and finally turned towards the blonde, just to give her a sharp gaze. "You really do not have any idea about what love is, do you?" she looked at the younger woman with contempt. "You know, I wasn't _planning_ not to show up." she added bitterly grabbing the blonde's blouse, pulling her closer to herself, then she roughly let go of her. "He is your age. He should live his life and not wait for me to get my life together. I guess he deserves better than me anyway... I've chosen things many times over him already. I loved him. But I loved myself more, I guess." she continued with a bitter smile. "I was surprised that he stayed with me for this long at all. And he's probably safer if he's away from me. I would have gotten him killed sooner or later." Zulema added coldly, almost as if she'd have been convincing herself that it was better this way.

Macarena didn't know what to say. She sat down on the ground near her. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to say that. Those are just empty words." Zulema stood up and went towards the tent. "I'm going to sleep. And I am taking the extra blanket, your rat friend has been chewing on it, you wouldn't want it, would you?"

.

Of course Zulema did not fall asleep. 

It must have been past midnight and Macarena noticed that she was still tossing and turning in the other side of the relatively small tent, and she just kicked the extra blanket away from herself as she turned on her other side, with her back towards the blonde.

"Are you ok?" Macarena asked after a while.

"I'll be." came the brief answer after a short silence.

"Do you want to talk about it?" 

"No." 

Macarena bit into her lip. "Do you want to talk about something else?"

Silence. 

"You didn't even tell me the name of your daughter." Macarena continued.

"Her name is Elira. At least that's the name I gave her, my mom calls her Fatima." she sighed. "She didn't agree with anything I ever wanted... But I don't want to talk about all this either." Zulema turned on her back. "Who knows what will go wrong until we get there. I don't want to talk about any part of my messed up life!" she said staring at the top of the tent.

"All right..." Macarena sighed.

They were quiet for a while again..

"Where did you meet the curly one?" Zulema broke the awkward silence after some time. 

"Huh? On a fair, why?" Macarena turned towards the brunette uncomfortably.

Zulema shrugged, she turned on her side, facing the younger woman and placed her cheek on her hands. "Maybe your messed up life story distracts me from my own." 

"You're unbelievable..." Macarena rolled her eyes. "There's nothing to tell, I'm afraid, it was rather short-lived..."

"What is so interesting about sex between women?" Zulema asked casually. 

Macarena raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you ask that from Saray?"

"She's not here. You are. And, well... she's not into men at all, so her point of view is rather... biased, let's say." the brunette sighed.

"I don't know... I don't have that much of an experience to generalize..." Macarena said awakwardly. "And either way... sex is something you experience not something you analyse." she added rolling her eyes, being slightly annoyed that Zulema brought up this topic. For some reason it made her feel uncomfortable talking about it with her.

The brunette continued staring at her, trying to catch her expression, but it was not easy in the darkness. "Then don't talk about it. Show me!" she said with her eyes fixed on her. "I'd get an idea. You'd get more experience." she shrugged. "It's a win-win."

Macarena couldn't believe that she heard it well. And she was downright glad that there was dark enough for them to not see each other's faces. She was both alarmed by Zulema's words, and in the same time suddenly also more turned on than she wanted to admit to anyone, including herself by the images which have just flooded her mind.

"Don't pretend you don't want to, I know how you looked at me when you thought that I don't see you." Zulema smirked.

"What-?" Maca breathed the question out with her eyes wide open. 

"It doesn't matter." the brunette shook her head and sat up. "Think about it, it would be something you're more experienced in than I am, for once." 

Macarena couldn't figure out whether this remark irked her or it made her feel flattered.

"You're truly unbelievable..." she shook her head.

Zulema shrugged. "Fine. If you don't want to, that's it, forget it." she said indifferently and was about to drag the cloak she used as a blanket back onto herself, but Maca's hand on her wrist stopped her, before she could have turned her back on her.

"What makes you think that you'll succeed to seduce me acting like this? What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from constantly mocking me?" the blonde laughed bitterly. 

"I get absolutely no satisfaction from mocking you. I'm waiting for you to prove me wrong, or to fight back, but most of the time all you seem to come up with are half-ass daring sentences. And I am not trying to seduce you." Zulema added indifferently. "I think you're past the point of needing me to do that. I was just trying to get something out of it." she shrugged with half a smirk. 

The blonde angrily bit into her lip, then she suddenly threw a leg over the waist of the other woman and knelt above her, trapping her. "Even if you see me as a spoiled, whiny princess, do not underestimate me, Zulema!" she said quietly and leaned closer to her. "I was seriously considering the possibility of betraying you, you know?" she whispered into her ear. 

It wasn't like Zulema has never thought about the possibility of that happening, but actually hearing it from the blonde made her feel angry. Even if her talking about it meant that she was not planning to actually do it. But Zulema didn't let it show. She just raised an eyebrow. 

"And what kept you from doing it, sweetheart?" she asked smiling. Macarena didn't answer. "Do you need me?" Zulema continued smugly, then she slowly lifted one of her legs, brushing it against the blonde's inner thigh. "Or do you want me? Or both?"

Macarena forced a serious tone onto her voice and once again leaned closer to Zulema. "That's beside the point now." she said with her lips almost brushing against Zulema's. "The point is that if _you_ want me, you _will_ have to do something to seduce me." she said and allowerd her lips to linger longer above tne brunette's, but when she felt that Zulema would lock her lips with hers, she straightened up. "I am not that desperate." she smirked, she grabbed the extra blanket, then she moved back to her side of the tent. She wasn't exactly serious about it, but she would have enjoyed seeing Zulema struggling and being awakward a bit too.

The brunette started laughing. "Well that's not going to happen." she said as she laid back down too. "But well played." she added with appreciation. 

Macarena didn't say anything, she pulled the blanket onto herself and turned her back on Zulema. 

"Blondie?" Zulema broke the silence after some long minutes. "Are you still awake?"

"What?" Macarena asked impatiently without turning towards the other woman.

"If I won't make any attempt to... " _seduce_ " you, and if we are done with our journey and then we never see each other again... Won't you regret being this stubborn?" she asked making a grimace. 

Macarena didn't answer the question. But she sat up, and moved back closer to the other woman. "That was an awful attempt to seduce me." she said being unimpressed. 

"But it worked, didn't it?" Zulema kept smirking at her. "Turns out I can indeed do some magic after all." 

"Well, it's nice to know that _you_ would regret being stubborn." Maca smiled and leaned in to kiss her, but the brunette pulled away from her.

"I never said _that."_ she frowned. 

"Of course you didn't." Macarena rolled her eyes, and pushed Zulema back down, locking her lips with hers.

.

_Two days later_

Zulema was humming a song on a language Macarena did not understand.

She was amazed to see the woman once again sitting by the campfire, caressing the top of the head of her five year old daughter while she was singing her a lullaby. She said that being on the run with a child is hell. _Did she choose hell?_ It didn't look like it.

"I know what you're thinking now." Zulema looked at the blonde when the girl fell asleep in her lap. "That she'll have the life of an outcast with me. That she would have been better off with my mother." 

Macarena blinked at her shaking her head. "I wasn't thinking that. I was thinking that you are brave."

"Yeah. Brave and totally alone once again." she whispered. "With a reckless child who is climbing on every tree and when I tell her that she should be more careful becuase she might get hurt, she tells me that I am the one covered in bruises..."

Maca laughed. "Like mother, like daughter."

"Hopefully not completely..." 

Maca looked at her. She didn't want to keep picking on Zulema's insecurities. By now she became aware that Zulema did have some too. "You are not alone." she said instead and sat down near ner.

"I have her now, but... I have no parents, no fiancé, no stable home, barely any money, sometimes I wonder if it was me who fucked up my life or my life who has fucked me up..."

Maca reached under her cloak and took out a small bag from her pocket. "This is for you." she handed it to Zulema. "It's not much, I split what I got in three, two thirds are yours and hers."

Zulema opened it. It was money. Not exactly a little of it.

"Where did you get this from?" she frowned.

"A pretty face is always a good distraction, isn't it?" she asked jokingly. "I am not such an awful thief after all."

"No, you're not." Zulema laughed. "Thank you. What are you going to do now?" she asked raising her glance on the blonde.

Macarena shrugged. "You said that I am free to do whatever I want." 

Zulema nodded silently.

"What if I want to stay?" Macarena asked quietly looking at the brunette. "You could use some help. And me too..." 

Zulema let out a little laugh, almost relieved, then she smiled at the blonde. "When I said that you don't have to leave if you don't want to last night, I didn't mean that I wanted you to stay to cuddle with me." she rolled her eyes. 

Macarena stepped closer to her. "But you didn't mind that either, did you? You didn't look like you did."

Zulema ignored the question. "If you want to stay you'll have to learn how to use a bow and an arrow properly." she said ignoring the question. "I'd bet that she already knows how to handle that too." she added shaking her head as she looked at her daughter. 

The blonde blinked at her. "Will you ever stop wrapping your restrained affectionate side into blunt insults?" she laughed.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. You should be able to protect yourself. And her, if needed..." 

Macarena nodded. "And you." she said. 

Zulema didn't say anything. Not a mocking word, not a mocking reaction, and even Macarena herself could have come up with plenty for this statement.

And that total absence of a reaction was the very thing what made Macarena certain that Zulema wanted her to stay. 

.


	12. Match Made In Hell [Alternative Timelime]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Prompt used:_  
>  • con artists who try to con each other AU by Walkyria
> 
> I wanted to keep this for the end of this collection, since it will be multi-chaptered, but this is what I was in the mood to write, so this is what I finished earlier.
> 
> This is more of an alternative timeline than an au, set in the canon-verse, which starts before/at the very beginning of the series.  
> The main difference is that Zulema is free*, and living her dream life with Hanbal**, and she meets Maca around the time Maca starts into some dirty business with her boss/lover.
> 
> So they meet outside of the jail, right at the beginning of the series. 🙃
> 
>  _Rating:_ Mature

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I wanted to write about a free Zulema at an earlier point in her life. I pictured/they portrayed that side of hers a lot differently in the earlier seasons than in El Oasis, and as much as I like her in El Oasis, I've always liked the kind of different version of her, with no cargo pants and hoodies, which I had in my mind during the first couple of seasons too.
> 
> ** Zulema and Hanbal are a stable couple when this is set, and I am not planning to break them up this time. Nevertheless, this IS still a Zurena story. I was in the mood to write them in a different kind of dynamic in this (partially inspired by @msiumiu's Hierro prompt, btw, I am still planning to write that Hierro fic too!!) and I am not planning to ruin Zurena either here, so...
> 
> Do you trust me enough to get on ride with this? 🙈😋

* * *

_Part 1: The Secretary_

"She's 29, has been working for the company since she graduated. There's a rumour that she wasn't exactly hired for the long term because of her _competence._ Well, at least not the one in the domain... Cliché."

Zulema made a grimace as she blew out the cigarette smoke, and still laying on her stomach, threw a printed picture about a smiling young blonde onto a pile of documents, also laying on the bed near her, then she threw herself back onto the pillow near the man who looked at her questioningly. 

"Why does she matter at all? Simon is the one who has to sign the deal, he's the big fish, why do we waste so much time studying this chick?"

"It's her we'll have to talk to..." Zulema sighed. "There is no way the big bad fish will come out himself from his aquarium to meet us, no matter how good we are. He'll send her." she rolled her eyes as she put her cigarette into an ashtray and snuggled up near the man. "Do you want to talk to her, or should I?" she asked on a bored tone.

"You can do it." the man said. "Whenever I try sewing a net around a woman for information they always get the wrong idea." 

"Isn't that the whole point?" Zulema raised her head again laughing to look at him. "Making them to trust you?"

"Yeah... it is. But I am tired of seducing women and breaking their hearts while not even being interested. And I am also tired of having to push them away before things would get... steamy... Maybe you can handle it differently." 

"Well then stop pushing them away if you are tired of it!" Zulema kept laughing. "We agreed that that's ok too, until it's... _professionally necessary_." she shrugged with a bitter smile. "And until we don't lie to each other about it. As far as we know, it hasn't yet truly come to that, but... I won't ask for details if you say it was necessary." she added placing a kiss on his jawline.

He smiled. He knew why she said that. Despite Zukema's self-confidence in every area of her life, she lacked it in one. In their relationship. She was convinced that he would get bored of her sooner or later, even if they've basically been a couple for almost ten years already. And apparently she loved him enough to not want to scare him away with being possesive. But he knew that she was not taking it as lightly as she pretended that she did. 

"I am tired of even having to get to the point of having to push them away." he rephrased his sentence rolling his eyes. "As I said, I am _not_ interested..." he said running his fingers through Zulema's shoulder-length dark hair. "...in _them_." 

"Flattering." Zulema smirked. "And let's say if... hypothetically... _I_ can't handle it differently... Would _you_ mind if _I_ end up seducing her?" she asked jokingly as her fingers were drawing circles on his chest. "It's unlikely that it will come to the extremes though..." she addeed as she suddenly lifted the picture again and looked at it. "She's not my type." she pouted with her head resting on the man's shoulder. "She looks too naive, annoyingly innocent and... she's blonde! Come on..." 

"And she's a woman." the man added frowning. "Also, ten years younger than you, but I am not the right person to judge you for that. But as far as I know, you were never into women, were you?" he asked lightly.

"No." Zulema shrugged. "But who knows... you know, my future is never set in stone. There's only one stable point I see in it." she said cheerfully throwing the picture once again away.

"What's that?" he asked smugly sneaking his hand under the simple white T-shirt, the only piece of clothing the woman was wearing beside her black panties. _Me?_ But as much as he wished for that to be the answer he suspected that it wasn't.

But that didn't change anything.

Zulema threw a leg over his waist and leaned closer to him. "Come on, Hanbal... Don't you know me well enough to know it? You do know it." she smiled. "I love you." she added whispering, then she locked her lips with his. _I do. But what could be the only stable thing in my future? It is me._

"I don't mind it." Hanbal said after a short while. "I mean I don't mind you seducing her. Not until it's still me you want to plan illegal things with... near our morning coffee... in the bed... barely wearing anything. I'm surprised you even ask for permission to do anything. I thought that was unlike you." he added smirking.

"I wasn't asking for permission." Zulema said with faked coldness. "I was just merely... curious... about your opinion." she shrugged.

"I love you too." Hanbal looked up at her smiling.

Zulema's cold mask cracked and she rested her head on his chest. "I hope I have some other charms which will work on her though..." she rolled her eyes. "Oh, and it's late already... I should go and dress up appropriately for an official meeting..." she added with a yawn when her gaze fell on the clock, then she straightened up and got up from the bed. "Let's convince them that we can get them out from the shit we put them into, to have a reason to search among the skeletons in their closet. Marcus was really curious about them."

.

Macarena walked in her high heels towards the office where they usually held the meetings. She was supposed to talk to this woman, she had no idea who she was, other than a legal consultant, officially at least, but her boss told her that she and her associate are more like fixers _,_ who get you out of shitty businesses or any inconvenient stuff you got yourself into. Apparently she has already worked with them once when Macarena wasn't yet in the position to know about such details. She was now wondering about how high the bill of such an act of kindness can be, if it is worth it for anyone to help you out of your own misery.

 _Speaking of which... I could use a fixer too._ Macarena was facing a stressful period of her life. Her boss, Simon, started to get deeper and deeper into dubious businesses and she, as both his secretary and his mistress, was sinking together with him, on every level. It made Macarena question her life choices. She liked her job, it was a good one, she didn't want to lose it, and she loved him, or at least she loved the thought of him. _He's kind to me. I owe him a lot. I could have a great future with him._ And it was truly frustrating her that it has been almost two years since the man kept telling her that he will leave his wife and marry her. 

She blinked at her reflection in a window. She closed the top button of the white shirt she was wearing and fixed her mini skirt. _I am still young... And I am not stupid. Is it worth it to chain myself to a man like him? Moreover, he could be my father..._

She was starting to lose her patience. But she didn't want to lose her relationship, neither her job a d two were tired to each other _._

"Ms. Macarena Ferreiro?" she heard a deep, calm voice behind her back. She turned around and found herself face to face with a dark haired woman, her hair in a tight little ponytail on her nape, she was wearing a shiny, dark grey shirt with a tight, black knee-length skirt, and as a first impression Macarena felt intimidated by her presence, the only thing which was not intimidating about her, were her bangs, which were recklessly shadowing her green eyes.

"Zulema Zahir." she smiled and reached out a hand towards the blonde. 

Macarena shook it. Officially, she had to talk to her about a minor issue they faced and which needed fixing. But that was not their biggest problem at the moment, the minor issue actually came in the right time, because this way they could get in touch with them. Macarena's primary job now was to get information out of the woman about the companies who could sue them. She had no idea how she could do it, but Simon convinced her to try. Because people like her tend to know everything. And having anything in their pockets appeared to be a reasonable defence-mechanism.

The brunette's look was piercing, her handshake firm. _I'll never get to convince this woman to reveal anything to me..._

"Nice to meet you. Take a seat." Macarena smiled as she opened a door and stepped into the office.

One and a half an hour later Zulema drew the conclusion that Simon and his company was in more trouble than they thought, and that it willl take some time and effort to get them out of there. But that she can do it.

The brunette was about to leave, when Maca spoke up. She knew that she won't get much out of her at the first meeting, but she was feeling bad for not getting absolutely anything.

"What happens with all that shady information you gather?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" the brunette raised an eyebrow as she turned back towards her.

Macarena swallowed. She felt like she poked a dragon with a stick. The other woman's searching gaze was burning her skin. 

"I mean... we share delicate details with you. And that doesn't just disappear when our roads part... in a way or another."

"Why do you ask?" Zulema frowned. "You don't trust me, do you?" she asked stepping back to the blonde, giving her a threatrically warm smile. "If you are worried that I might use the information you gave me against you, or any of you, don't do it. We signed a contract, you've read it. I am never sharing anything with anyone without their approval. I could do it once, then I'd lose my job." she shrugged.

_But if I want to share something with someone about you, you will give me your permission. Because I'll convince you that that's the smaller bad that can happen to you. And you'll pay me for helping. And the one who asked for the information will also pay me for getting it to them. And everything will be done with everyone's approval. No one will want to attack us. And well... if someone might get in the mood to do it, he will not dare to go through with it. Becuase we know too much._

Zulema gave the blonde another reassuring smile. "Your ship is sinking. There's more bad than visible, you know it too. I am here to make you suffer the least damage. Trust me." 

Macarena nodded. She didn't want to insist, maybe it would be too obvious. "See you tomorrow then, if you manage to get those papers signed."

"They will be signed." the other woman said confidently. "Oh, and could we meet in the café from the entrance of the building? I'd prefer to not have to come up to the eleventh floor with the elevator. I am not a fan of... small, locked spaces." Zulema added with an awkward grimace. It was just half a lie. She wasn't afraid of elevators.

 _Tell them something personal about yourself to break the ice._ Checked. _If it's something what makes them feel sympathy, the better._ Checked. _And if it's something what tests their willingness to compromise, it's the best._

 _"_ Of course." the blonde nodded. "See you tomoorow!"

Zulema smiled at her, and to herself, and left the office. It

_._

"There's no way she'll tell us anything! You must have known it! You know her, why did you even-"

Simon looked up at the whining Macarena from his desk. 

"Since when are you giving up this easily?" he frowned. "And I don't know her. I just know some stuff about her. I was talking with her associate back then. Maybe he'd be easier to handle, I don't know. But it doesn't even matter, it's her who's the one who is here now, it's her you'll have to tame."

"Tame?! Why me? Why don't you talk with her then?" Macarena asked angrily. It was not a habit of hers to talk to him like this but she started to be fed up with everything.

The man gave her an impatient look, then he took a deep breath, put down the paper he was reading and stepped to Macarena. "Listen to me..." he said looking into her eyes. "We _need_ at least the information about Marcus's stinky businesses. Directly, or indirectly." he added firmly.

Macarena's jaw droppeed. "You mean... if her tongue doesn't slip, I should _steal_ it from her? How the hell could I do that?! Do you think she keeps them in a piggy bank in her house?" she laughed nervously. "Even if she would keep them there, how would I get in there?"

Simon smiled at her and caressed her cheek.

"You were always able to handle everything so well. Try harder. This will take at least two weeks, maybe more, we have time."

"Try harder?!" Macarena frowned, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Come up with something! I don't know... Play the victim... Get under her skin. You are especially good at the last one." he smirked. 

Macarena stepped back from him and blinked at the man being shocked.

"What?! Do you want me to get into her bed if it's necessary?" she asked on a sharp tone. Simon didn't seem to notice it. 

"Yeah. Actually why not?" he said running her fingers through her hair. "I don't know if she's into woman, but I do trust you to make her curious anyway. Come back with something useful, or we will have to postpone our weekend in Ibiza because of the paperwork." he added lightly as he walked back to his desk. 

Macarena bit into her lip. She couldn't believe what he just said. 

"Again, why is it not you doing it then? It would make more sense." she said being annoyed.

Simon laughed. "I'd risk to be too old for her taste. It's said that she ran away from an almost fourty year old man she had to marry when she was around 15. I doubt she looks for comfort in the arms of older men... But the least you know about her the better. Your bonding has to feel... authentic."

Macarena still looked at him with her mouth open. She couldn't figure it out whether this was crossing a big damn line or whether this was necesserry to keep safe everything she cherished about her possible future.

.

She stepped on the terrace of the café, which almost exclusively the emplyees visited, being in no mood to discuss with the other woman. She forced a smile on her face nevertheless, when she sat down by a table face to face with her.

"Good morning. Ms. Ferreiro." Zulema smiled at her.

"Good morning. Uhm... you can call me Macarena. I get stressed whenever I have to play the formal facade with people with whom I have to talk for longer."

She didn't even know why she said it. Zulema was the older one, she should have come up with the idea first. But the manners really didn't matter to Macarena then. Maybe she was just pissed off and seeing all this bullshit wrapped into a formal mask made her even more angrier. Maybe she just didn't want Zulema to keep calling her like that. Macarena sensed a drop of mockery in the way she said it. 

"Thank god..." Zulema laughed, for Maca's relief, as she took her suit jacket off and placed it on the top of her chair, leaving her in a simple, white blouse. "I hate all this official stuff if I am honest. I prefer people talking to people other than suits to ties or something."

Macarena chuckled, she wasn't expecting this reaction and it kind of made her feel more relaxed and less angry. The woman was not as stiff as she seemed to be after all. "Does this mean that you'd prefer coming to meetings in... I don't know... cargo pants and hoodies?"

"Not necessarily those. But in something more comfortable than suits for sure."

"You chose the wrong career then. You're working mostly with snobbish companies." Macarena shrugged. 

Zulema smirked. "Knowing your, or your jobs faults can be a useful thing."

Macarena didn't know what to say. "You suffer from claustrophobia?" she asked instead. "Because of the elevator thing."

"Uhum." Zulema started to look for something in her pockets. "Do you mind if I smoke?" 

Maca hated the cigarette smoke, but she didn't think it was a good idea to make a fuss about that now. "No."

"I just prefer to spend the least time possible in situations where I can feel... trapped." Zulema said as she lit a cigarette.

"I see." Macarena nodded and looked at the woman as she turned away from her to blow out the smoke. There was something about her what wanted you to know more. Simon's words echoed in her mind and Macarena had the feeling that Zulema is more the kind of woman who can make anyone curious, more than she is. _Damn it! Do I mean she has already made me curious? I am not even into women myself. No. I'm just stressed because I feel like this task exceeds my abilities..._ She shook her head as she tried betting out of her head.

Zulema turned back towards her smiling. She noticed the blonde's awkwardness, but she didn't bring it up. 

"The papers are signed." she said and handed the blonde a bigger envelope. "You can tell to your boss that if he manages to do what I pointed out yesterday, everything will be all right until next week." 

"So soon?" Maca asked being surprised. 

Zulema raised an eyebrow. It's been two days. She was still planning to use the rest of the week for digging into their dirt, she did not yet find more than half of the stuff she was looking for. "There are issues which can be fixed in two days." 

"Of course." _I'm an idiot._ "I just..." Maca mumbled awkwardly.

The brunette tilted her head smiling playfully. "You'd like our meetings to happen for the longer term?" she asked as she lifted her glass to take a sip of water, her eyes fixed on the blonde, with a mischievous spark in them, what Macarena was not at all used to see in her official meetings. At least not with anyone else than Simon. _The woman is flirting_.

There was an alarm going off in her head, she was still kind of terrified by what Simon expected her to do, she was not yet prepared for it and she was definitely not expecting Zulema to actually throw a red carpet in front of her, making her walk towards her on the most complicated route possible. And especially not this soon. Maca swallowed and made a clumsy move, overthrowing the salt callar. 

"Ugh, sorry!" she apologized. _Why the hell do I even feel this awkward?! I should go with the flow and play my part, why does it affect me at all?_ "I just meant that..."

"Relax..." Zulema laughed. "I was joking."

She was amused by the blonde's reaction. She did not expect her to be this easy to play around with. She was aware that she did have an effect on her. So the sudden change in her expression which was more like the stable ground disappearing from under her feet than relief, made Zulema even more amused. She enjoyed seeing people being perplexed because of her. 

"I'll have something else to deal with tomorrow, but I'll let you know in message if I can come tomorrow too." Zulema said leaving some cash on the tablea and left the puzzled blonde on her own.

.

Macarena slammed the door of her apartament behind herself. She was glad to finally be alone. The rest of her day went by with her buried in paperwork, then she took the long way home and sat down near a lake trying to clear her mind. 

It was not the first time someone more charismatic than her started flirting with her. _Was she even flirting? Why the hell did it unbalance me this much?_ Macarena did not see herself as a femme fatale but she did have to reject quite some pushy, influential men already, Simon being an exception, and she never felt nervous about rejecting them, just when she... didn't want to reject them in the first place. _It's not about that! It's about the fucking race for information, that is making me crazy!_

She threw her bag onto the sofa and changed into some more comfortable clothes. Then she noticed that she had two messages on her phone. 

One from Simon, saved under the name Tom in her contacts. _What a perfect love life I have..._ A kind of message she used to welcome with a smug smirk, but now it just made her feel even more uncomfortable in her skin. She opened the second one, from an unknown number, which turned out to be Zulema's, which she hasn't saved yet, she said that she can't make it tomorrow, but they'll make up for the missed meeting the next day.

She threw away her phone. She wasn't in the mood to have either of those two in her head. Then she picked it up again. She couldn't just ignore simon after all. She has started to get bored of sexting lately, that was almost all they had done recently, but since people started to seriously suspect things they had to behave themselves until things got settled, what seemed to never come. 

She sighed, and wrote back a message, saying " _I miss you too. I couldn't stop thinking about your hands roaming my skin since I last saw you today."_ barely feeling anything. Then she thought a bit and sent another one. " _And mine yours, getting rid of your all clothes."_

She had to wait more than usually for a reply, if she was honest with herself, she wouldn't have felt offended if she doesn't get any. But after a couple of minutes there was a notification, and a message saying: 

_"Are you imagining me in a suit or are you sticking to your cargo pants fantasy?"_

Macarena's eyes suddenly opened, and she gazed at the contact name, and she wanted to truly throw the phone away, but that wouldn't have solved anything, she wanted to disappear, she was cursing her clumsyness. She was trying to come up with a message to make things clear, to correct the burning mistake, but what on earth could anyone say, it was bad anyway. 

She bit into her lip. She still felt the urge to hit her head into a wall, but she started to see a way to make the best out of this miserable situation. She slowly picked up the phone.

_"Suit it was. But that's of no importance anymore. They're off you already, aren't they?"_

She pressed the send button and once again threw away her phone, and laid down on her bed, her face buried in between her pillows, her palms sweating, and waited, with fear and excitement for a new notification, signaling a new message from Zulema.

_~ Continued as a stand-alone fic~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled to come up with the con plot, so I went with the business/lowkey blackmail version of it, a bit inspired by Person Of Interest.
> 
> • "Sext sent to Zulema by mistake" prompt by Addie, I didn't mention it at the beginning because I didn't want to spoil it. 😋 (I had another idea for this in the El Oasis timeline, but that fic is stuck, so... I thought it's ok to use it here instead/too now.)


End file.
